Department for Transport

Food: Transport

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Government in Northern Ireland on the transportation of perishable food produced in Northern Ireland abroad after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: My Department has discussed this issue with officials in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Government officials and I am aware of the short time margins that perishable food is transported under. We are committed to securing an agreement that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England. An agreement that works for the unique circumstances of the Island of Ireland is at the very heart of the Government’s negotiating position. As the hon. Member will be aware the key market for the Northern Ireland food and drinks processing sector is Great Britain which accounts for 50% of total sales. Ireland is the second largest market representing almost 15% of total sales. Other EU sales represents a little below 8% of total sales for the sector. In the event of delays caused by increased checks at EU ports, the UK Government will implement contingency arrangements to manage the flow of traffic across the UK.

Bus Services: South Yorkshire

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department allocated to bus services serving (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire in the 2017-18 financial year.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of bus services that serve (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision is primarily a commercial matter for bus operators. Decisions on subsidised bus services are a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities. The Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities need to improve local bus services and increase passenger numbers. £250m of Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) payments are made to bus companies and local authorities. Bus operators in Yorkshire & Humber were paid a total of £25,874,000 BSOG in 2017-18 to help meet some of their fuel costs in running local bus services. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council received a total of £20,959 in BSOG during 2017-18 to support subsidised local bus services; South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive received £1,127,171 and Sheffield City Council received £106,858. BSOG spend figures are published annually on Gov.uk and can be found via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-services-grants-and-funding#bsog-spend

Electric Vehicles

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of electric vehicles as part of the 2040 target to end the sale of conventionally fuelled cars.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a vehicle replacement scheme to help make the transition to electric vehicles affordable for families on average and below average incomes.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking support UK car manufacturing after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing incentives to strengthen domestic demand for new electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: In January 2018, the Government published its Industrial Strategy Automotive Sector Deal to support the continuing competitiveness of the UK’s automotive sector and its local supply chains. The Government’s Road to Zero Strategy – published in July – set out its ambitions for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. The transition will be supported by a package of demand, supply and infrastructure measures, and £1.5 billion in funding. This includes assisting consumers in meeting the cost of ultra low emission vehicles with a variety of plug-in grant funding schemes for eligible ultra low emission cars, vans, taxis and motorcycles. The Government’s recent international Zero Emission Vehicle Summit emphasised its ambitions to lead this global transition, bringing other nations along through the ‘Birmingham Declaration’. At the Summit the Prime Minister announced £106 million in an R&D funding package for innovators in ultra low emission vehicle technology, including in new battery and low carbon technologies. By supporting new ultra low emission vehicles, the Government is also helping to build the second hand market in the UK, which already offers a wide range of more affordable models. Owners of used ultra low emission vehicles are able to take advantage of the favourable tax regime now in place, alongside local initiatives such as free parking and grant schemes to help with the cost of installing chargepoints. There are no plans to introduce a vehicle scrappage or replacement scheme.

Crossrail

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the cost to the public purse of the delay to Crossrail.

Joseph Johnson: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, covering a variety of subjects.

Public Transport: Disability

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing transport fee concessions to all assistants of a disabled individual where that individual requires more than one assistant to use public transport.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: This Government is determined to make sure that disabled people have the same access to transport as everyone else, and that they are able to travel easily, confidently, and without extra cost. The Disabled Persons Railcard entitles disabled people and a carer to a third off their rail fares, and the Government provides around £1 billion of funding each year to enable local authorities in England to provide statutory and discretionary concessions for 9.8 million disabled and older travel pass holders. Local authorities are able to offer additional local bus concessions, such as companion passes for disabled people who require assistance to travel. The detail of such further concessions, including the number of carers who can travel at reduced cost, is a matter for local authorities. In the Inclusive Transport Strategy, published in July 2018, we committed to conduct a review into the eligibility criteria of the Disabled Persons Railcard. This review will examine the issue of the total ticket cost for a disabled person and their carers.

Railways: Compensation

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his speech at the Conservative party conference on 1 October 2018, what specific stronger obligations he plans to introduce to rail franchises in relation to passenger compensation rights.

Joseph Johnson: We will continue to monitor and report on Train Operating Companies’ (TOCs’) performance in making the claim process easier for passengers. We will mandate increased use of technology to inform passengers pro-actively that they are entitled to claim, using Apps, email and onboard announcements and hold TOCs to account for delivering claim processes that are swift and simple. Separately from franchise agreements, the Government is supporting the establishment by the industry of an independent Rail Ombudsman before the end of 2018 to investigate and rule on unresolved customer complaints, with the power to issue decisions, including on compensation, that are binding on the industry.

Railways: Pay

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative risk assessment he has made of (a) imposing and (b) negotiating changes to the measure of inflation used for rail industry pay negotiations.

Joseph Johnson: In August, the Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the Rail Delivery Group and to the trades unions, asking them to adopt CPI, and not RPI, as the basis for inflation when negotiating wage deals. As you know, CPI is the more widely used and reliable measure of inflation. This would be a significant step in ensuring that costs in the rail industry do not rise faster than ticket prices. It will help to ensure that the railway is affordable for the fare paying and tax paying public for decades to come, while making sure that those who work on the railway continue to receive fair reward. Of course, pay negotiations and the settlements reached by individual employers and trade unions remain a matter for local collective bargaining. In his letter to the trades unions the Secretary of State invited them to meet with the Rail minister so this might be discussed further.

Railways: Disability

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that provisions for disability inclusive rail services are included in future rail franchise agreements to enable disabled people to travel for (a) work and (b) pleasure.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Our vision is for disabled people to have the same access to transport as everyone else, being able to travel confidently, easily and without extra cost. The Inclusive Transport Strategy, launched in July 2018, is the next step in our ambition to deliver accessible transport. In future rail franchise competition processes we will require bidders to provide enhanced services for those with accessibility needs including enhanced disability and equality awareness training for staff.

Bus Services: Greater Manchester

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what power the Mayor of Greater Manchester has to franchise bus services; and whether the Government has provided additional funding to facilitate such franchising.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Bus Services Act 2017 gave Mayoral Combined Authorities, including Greater Manchester, the powers they need to franchise buses. No additional funding has been provided to Greater Manchester Combined Authority to facilitate such franchising.

Department for Transport: Public Expenditure

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the change has been to his Department's budget in real terms in each year since 2010; and what the projected change will be in real terms in each year to 2022.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: DfT expenditure for the years from 2010/11 to 2019/20 (the final year of the current Spending Review period) is set out in the tables below. Two separate tables are provided to reflect the major change in the accounting treatment of Network Rail from the 2015/16 financial year onwards, following its earlier reclassification from the private sector into the public sector. For years up to and including 2014/15, Network Rail was not within the DfT Group accounts and DfT’s annual grant to Network Rail was therefore scored as Capital DEL expenditure (nominal value between £3bn and £4bn per year in each year shown). From 2015/16 onwards, Network Rail came into the DfT Group and its annual grant from DfT (which remains in place) became an intra-group transfer, and as such no longer scores as Capital DEL expenditure. Meaningful comparisons between these two periods cannot be made for this reason. Data shows spending outturn for years up to 2017/18, and spending plans for 2018/19 and 2019/20. Network Rail spending is currently classified in AME and is outside the scope of these figures. Departmental budgets from 2020/21 onwards are have not yet been agreed and will be set as part of next year’s Spending Review. 2010/11 to 2014/15£000s 2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15Resource DEL (nominal)5,806,2745,487,1435,191,3094,701,5103,459,901Capital DEL (nominal)7,928,7107,933,8448,536,7118,545,4739,446,280Total DEL (nominal)13,734,98413,420,98713,728,02013,246,98312,906,181Total DEL (2017/18 prices)15,372,49314,826,13814,866,03314,086,69113,550,177Real-terms change year-on-year -3.6%0.3%-5.2%-3.8% 2015/16 to 2019/20£000s 2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/20Resource DEL (nominal)3,069,4202,926,6153,673,0003,761,0093,327,396Capital DEL (nominal)5,960,5945,419,2496,351,9078,069,90010,518,500Total DEL (nominal)9,030,0148,345,86410,024,90711,830,90913,845,896Total DEL (2017/18 prices)9,405,4178,504,32710,024,90711,452,96113,236,994Real-terms change year-on-year -9.6%17.9%14.2%15.6% Sources:2019/20 plans: 2017/18 DfT Annual Report & Accounts2018/19 plans: 2018/19 DfT Main EstimateOutturn: DfT Annual Report & Accounts for 2017/18 and earlier years

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the amount spent on re-surfacing roads in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England since 2010.

Jesse Norman: Coventry City Council is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Between 2010/11 and 2017/18 the Department for Transport provided the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with over £386 million to upgrade and improve local highways within the West Midlands area. It has been for the WMCA to distribute this funding to its constituent members such as Coventry City Council.The Department for Transport has also directly allocated Coventry City Council over £10 million to upgrade and improve local highways within the City between 2010/11 and 2017/18, in addition to funding for roads which fall within the strategic road network and are managed by Highways England.In England, outside London, between 2010/11 and 2014/15 the Department for Transport provided local highway authorities with £4.7 billion for highway maintenance. In 2015 the Department announced a six year funding package for highway maintenance. Between 2015/16 and 2021/22 it is providing local highway authorities in England, outside London, with £6.2 billion for highway maintenance. This includes £296 million for a Pothole Action Fund.

Hospitals: Parking

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the cost of parking at hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care nor the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this issue. The Department for Transport is not responsible for policy in relation to hospital car parks, as this is a matter for the Department for Health and Social Care. More widely, private sector and local authority car parks are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government. The Department for Transport is responsible for policy in relation to on-street parking.

London-Brighton Railway Line: Fares

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2018 to Question 178358 on the London to Brighton Railway line, what the timetable is for a decision on the options his Department is considering to simplify the Brighton mainline fare structure.

Joseph Johnson: The Department cannot set a timetable at this time. Our work must take into account both the options for the specification of the successor to the TSGN franchise and its broader fares policy, with the Rail Review charged with recommending the most appropriate organisational and commercial frameworks to be able to offer good value fares for passengers. Simplification of fares on the Brighton Main Line, where historic competition has created a particularly complex fares structure, remains a key priority.

Dangerous Driving

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase driver awareness of the dangers of overtaking (a) cyclists and (b) other vulnerable road users without leaving sufficient space.

Jesse Norman: The Highway Code provides guidance for drivers on being aware of cyclists and other vulnerable road users and allowing adequate distance when passing them.The Department is aware that not all road users follow the rules on safe overtaking and on 18 October 2018 the Department that the Highway Code will be reviewed to help keep cyclists, vulnerable road users and pedestrians safe on the roads.This followed announcements in the summer committing to update the Highway Code in relation to close passing and highlighting a UK-wide initiative to help police enforce against dangerous drivers who pass cyclists too closely.

Driving Instruction

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the inclusion in driver education on road safety of up-to-date visual tools and materials, including virtual reality films, to ensure that people are made aware of their driving from the perspective of other road users.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of promoting virtual reality road safety awareness films as an educational tool for drivers.

Jesse Norman: The Department has used the ‘Innovation Challenge Fund’ to assess how new technologies such as virtual reality can help learner drivers to develop their hazard perception skills prior to taking their tests. Virtual reality road safety awareness films are likely to be helpful in driver education. They promise to bring an added spatial dimension to the experience and can be very engaging when used well. It is important that they should always be based on the kinds of established behavioural change techniques used by the THINK! Campaign, the best local authority driver education, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the construction of High Speed Two on the (a) habitat and (b) population of barn owls.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The impact of HS2 on barn owls was assessed to inform the Phase One Environmental Statement which recorded a nationally significant adverse effect on the UK’s barn owl population. HS2 Ltd has therefore developed a barn owl mitigation plan to reduce this significant effect. The plan assumes that 80 pairs are affected by the Phase One Scheme and consists of measures to: avoid disturbance to the species during construction; reduce the collision risk of the railway to the birds; provide new artificial nesting sites at a safe distance; and monitor the new nesting sites to ensure uptake by barn owls. The potential effects on barn owls have also been assessed in the Phase 2a Environmental Statement, and will be assessed in a Phase 2b Environmental Statement in due course.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of (a) the overall cost and (b) cost of each element of HS2; and what the timetable is for the completion of phase 2.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: At the 2015 Spending Review (SR15), the Government restated the long-term Funding Envelope for delivery of the full HS2 scheme of £55.73bn (2015 prices), of which £27.18bn was allocated to Phase One and £28.55bn for Phase Two. We remain determined to deliver HS2 within this total Funding Envelope, with cost targets to be set for HS2 Ltd to deliver the programme below this amount. We intend to complete Phase 2a by 2027– six years earlier than initially planned. The planned opening date for the full HS2 network remains unchanged at 2033.

Driving: Licensing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 173935 on driving: licensing, what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will need to be recruited in order to meet increased demand for International Driving Permits in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Grayling: From 1 February 2019, International Driving Permits will be issued by 2,500 Post Office branches using existing Post Office staff. While staffing levels are a matter for Post Office Ltd, we do not believe there will be a need to recruit further staff to offer the enhanced service.

Driving: Licensing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 173935 on Driving: Licensing, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of International Driving Permits which will need to be issued in 2019-20, (b) individual cost of securing an International Driving Permit and (c) administrative cost of processing each application for an International Driving Permit in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Grayling: a) The government is confident of securing a comprehensive deal to ensure the continued recognition of our driving licences in the EU. Work that has been done estimating the likely impact, indicates that up to 0.5m International Driving Permits (IDPs) may need to be issued in most outcome scenarios.b) Each IDP will cost £5.50, a fee which has not increased since 2004. For complete coverage in the EU after exit day a motorist will need 2 IDPs (One in the 1949 Convention format, and one in the 1968 Convention format) at a total cost of £11.00. However, the 1968 IDP which will be valid in 23 EU Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland is valid for 3-years reducing the annual cost to around £1.85 per year.c) The administrative cost of acquiring an IDP is a matter for the Post Office.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fracking: Climate Change and Environment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) the ability of the Government to meet its climate change targets and (b) the environment of reducing regulations on shale gas extraction; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Government is firmly committed to meeting its ambitious climate change targets and contributing to the global effort to tackle climate change through the Paris Agreement. Shale gas has the potential to be a home-grown energy source which can lead to jobs and economic growth, contribute to our security of supply, and be compatible with our climate change objectives. Pursuant to my response to Question 175969, there are no plans to reduce the robust regulations for shale gas extraction - we have been clear that shale gas development must be safe and environmentally sound.

Consumers: Dispute Resolution

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the April 2018 Green Paper on Modernising Consumer Markets, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the mandatory participation in alternative dispute resolution being extended to cover non-regulated markets.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is making such an assessment as part of its review of the system of alternative dispute resolution. The Modernising Consumer Markets Green Paper asked for views on whether there should be an automatic right for consumers to access alternative dispute resolution in sectors with the highest levels of consumer harm.

Trading Standards: Finance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the UK Government will provide additional funding to National Trading Standards and Trading Standards Scotland.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Department has provided a single enforcement grant of £12,961,000 to National Trading Standards and of £1,215,000 to Trading Standards Scotland for financial year 2018/19. We keep the funding needs of both organisations under constant review.

Consumers: Subscriptions

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the April 2018 Green Paper on Modernising  Consumer Markets, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to consumers who fail to cancel subscriptions following initial free trials; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has not estimated the annual cost to consumers of unwanted subscriptions. The Government is committed to tackling the problem of subscription traps and has asked Citizens Advice to lead work on behalf of the Consumer Protection Partnership to recommend any actions needed to prevent consumers paying for unwanted subscriptions.

Shops: Urban Areas

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of potential changes to the level of high street retailing in the next five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: This Government recognises that High Street retailing is evolving, but high streets remain a crucial part of our local and regional economies, creating jobs, nurturing small businesses and injecting billions of pounds into our economy. Under current assessments, the majority of employment remains in high street retail. 95% of retail jobs related to traditional retailers in 2017, with 5% of jobs accounted for by online only retailers. To make assessments of potential changes, we have assembled an industry led expert panel focusing on what consumers and local communities want from their high streets of the future. In conjunction with the expert panel, evidence sessions are also being held across the country. We want to know what the public, and young people in particular, want from their high streets of the future. The responses will be considered by the expert panel and help to inform their recommendations.

Ford Motor Company: Engines

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to faulty engines of the Ford Ecoboost, what steps the Office of Product Safety and Standards plans to take to support both the recall of that vehicle and consumers that have been affected.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Office for Product Safety and Standards was established in January 2018 to further improve the UK’s leading product safety system. It covers general consumer product safety, but not vehicles, food, medicines, medical devices, construction products or workplace equipment which are all covered by separate bodies. The Department of Transport has policy responsibility for vehicle safety and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, is responsible for automotive safety defect and recall matters.

Business: Human Rights

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which projects on business and human rights his Department has funded in each of the last five years; and what the total spend of each such project was in each of those years.

Kelly Tolhurst: The UK’s National Action Plan to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights sets out a rolling programme of actions requiring both legislative and non-legislative approaches. The Department has funded one project in the last five years. The Department matched funding from the Dutch Government toward the development of the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, a private sector-led initiative that ranks some of the world’s largest companies by their human rights policies, processes, and practices. The total spend on this project from UK Government was £60,000 in 2014/15 and £20,000 in 2015/16.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Public Expenditure

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the change has been to his Department's budget in real terms in each year since 2010; and what the projected real terms changes are for each year to 2022.

Richard Harrington: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was created in July 2016, so its first full year budget was for the financial year 2017/18. BEIS budgets decreased in real terms by 3.8% between 2017/18 and 2018/19. BEIS budgets are projected to increase in real terms by 4.9% between 2018/19 and 2019/20. (2019/20 budgets are yet to be approved by Parliament so may be subject to change.) My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has confirmed that there will be a Spending Review in 2019 which will set planned departmental budgets beyond 2019/20. Note: “BEIS budgets” refers to total Departmental Expenditure Limits, excluding depreciation, taken from the Autumn Budget 2017 publication.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with fashion brands and businesses based in Europe on their concerns on accessing the UK after March 2019.

Kelly Tolhurst: This Department engages regularly with UK based businesses across a range of sectors, including fashion brands and businesses, many of whom also have a European base, and we understand the concerns of these businesses about retaining frictionless trade. This is why Government has been clear that the best outcome is for the UK to leave the EU with a deal and why, following months of intensive work and detailed discussions, we proposed a third option for our future economic relationship, based on the frictionless trade in goods. At March European Council, the UK and EU agreed that during the implementation period, the UK would be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements, including trade agreements. This provides certainty and confidence that there will be no disruption to existing relationships underpinned by international agreements as we move into the Implementation Period.

Post Offices: Franchises

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money from the public purse has been spent on the Post Office franchising programme since 2013.

Kelly Tolhurst: Government has invested over £2 billion in the Post Office since 2010. Funding has been split between subsidy funding to support branches that are not economically viable and investment funding to modernise the post office, including transforming branches and franchising some directly managed branches. The split for the current funding package between April 2018 to March 2021 is £210 million in investment funding and £160 million in subsidy. While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Thus, the precise allocation of funding to different programmes is an operational matter for Post Office Limited and is reported in their annual report and accounts which can be found on their website at http://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/.

Conditions of Employment: EU Law

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Cabinet has held discussions on removing worker's rights that derive from EU law after the UK has left the EU.

Kelly Tolhurst: This Government has committed not to roll back workers’ rights when we leave the European Union (EU). This commitment stands regardless of whether there is a Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU or not, and irrespective of where the rights originated. The EU (Withdrawal) Act ensures that existing rights are retained in UK law when the UK leaves the EU. We are committed to ensuring everyone is treated fairly at work. In order to ensure our legal framework keeps pace with the changing world of work, and workers have access to the rights they deserve, the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to carry out an independent review of modern working practices in the UK. We responded to the review in February 2018, committing to firm action and future legislation and launched four consultations on the detail. We are currently considering the responses and will respond in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Libya: Elections

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the feasibility of holding parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya that are compliant with the outcome of the talks between Libyan factions in Paris on 29 May 2018.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the ability Libya to hold a free and fair referendum on that country's draft constitution.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress on the outcomes of talks held by representatives of local and municipal councils (a) in Tunis in December 2017; (b) in Shahat in January 2018 and (c) in Tripoli in March 2018.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the security arrangements for voters participating in the planned constitutional referendum and elections in Libya.

Alistair Burt: ​The UN Action Plan launched in September 2017 makes clear that elections and a referendum on the country's constitution will be important milestones in Libya's political transition. UN Special Representative to the Secretary General Ghassan Salamé has also been clear about the need for elections to be preceded by the necessary political, technical and security preparations, and for progress towards a new constitutional framework that commands sufficiently broad support among Libyans. The Libyans present in Paris in May this year set out an ambitious timetable in relation to these objectives, but further progress is needed. Italy will host an international conference on Libya in Sicily next month to discuss outstanding issues.The UK is supporting the work of Libya's national and local election commissions – including by providing £1.2 million to UN Development Programme over two years to support fair and safe local and national elections in Libya.Local and Municipal Councils and wider civil society will play an important role in any sustainable solution to Libya's problems. We support the UN-led National Dialogue process, which has brought together and consulted with a range of Libyans from across the country; and we are encouraged by recent exchanges between municipal representatives from east and west Libya.

Libya: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has received reports of human rights abuses perpetrated by Libyan militias allied to the Government of National Accord.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1970, what recent steps the Government has taken to support the issue of International Criminal Court warrants for the arrest of members of (a) the Libyan National Army and (b) other armed groups in Libya.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK has been clear about the need for perpetrators of human rights abuses in Libya to be held to account, regardless of their affiliation. We have taken action in the UN Security Council to sanction militia commanders who undermine Libya's peace and security. We have also called clearly on all Libyan parties to co-operate fully with the International Criminal Court, including in the case of Major Al-Werfalli. The UK co-sponsored a resolution at the March 2018 session of the Human Rights Council calling for greater accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses in Libya.

Bangladesh: Elections

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has plans to provide election observers to monitor the conduct of the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh; and what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU members states on the potential deployment of an EU Election Monitoring Mission to Bangladesh in advance of those elections.

Mark Field: ​The UK supports election monitoring in Bangladesh through a Department for International Development project that funds domestic observers to monitor the political environment around elections, including observation of sub-national elections. This project will also provide local observers to monitor conduct on the day of the general election. The UK has consistently advocated for an EU election observation mission to Bangladesh.I want to see a general election in Bangladesh that is free, fair and inclusive and I encourage the Government of Bangladesh and the main opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to lay the groundwork for this. The Foreign Secretary made these points to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met on 24 September at UNGA. I made these points to the senior Bangladeshi interlocutors, including the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, and senior members of the opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, during my visit to Bangladesh from 29 June to 1 July.

Bangladesh: Demonstrations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of people (a) detained and (b) charged for involvement in recent demonstrations led by (i) students and (ii) young people in Bangladesh on (A) reform of public-sector employment quotas and (B) road safety in that country.

Mark Field: ​There are no reliable figures for those detained and charged for their part in the recent public sector quota reform, and road safety protests, including no official figures. Media reporting in Bangladesh on the public-sector quota reform protests, indicated 30 students were arrested then granted bail during court hearings held in August. Media reporting in Bangladesh of the road-safety protests quoted a Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson on 15 August that there had been 97 arrests.I was deeply concerned by the violence we saw in Dhaka in response to road safety protests and by the action taken against those peacefully protesting against the public sector quota system. In a statement on 7 August, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Alison Blake, together with other EU Heads of Mission, was clear that the Government of Bangladesh should investigate incidents of unlawful or disproportionate violence against road safety protestors and journalists and hold the perpetrators to account. Subsequently, Joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development Minister Alistair Burt expressed our concern regarding the response to the road safety protests with the Government of Bangladesh, during his visit to Bangladesh from 28-31 August.Bangladesh remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We raised freedom of expression as a key concern in Bangladesh during the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review and we continue to encourage the Government of Bangladesh to work with Bangladeshi Civil Society to address their concerns regarding freedom of expression.

Bangladesh: War Crimes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of cases heard by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh that have resulted in (i) convictions and (ii) acquittals.

Mark Field: ​There are no reliable figures on the number of cases heard by the International Crimes Tribunal, and the proportion of those being convicted or acquitted. Foreign and Commonwealth records indicate there have been 18 verdicts delivered since 2013, all convictions. Six executions have taken place as a result of these convictions, though the number of death penalties handed down is higher, with some of those convicted having absconded. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has consistently opposed the use of the death penalty in Bangladesh.

Human Rights

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) protect human rights defenders in the UK’s human rights priority countries.

Mark Field: ​In November 2017 the then Foreign Secretary issued a revised version of the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders to the diplomatic network, giving it advice on how best to support human rights defenders. Depending on the local context, this might involve making public statements, attending trials, or working privately with the host government. In addition, posts in all Human Rights Priority Countries are required to have a Human Rights Strategy which includes working with human rights defenders. Funding for projects through the Magna Carta Fund further supports the work of the diplomatic network in supporting human rights defenders. Working at the multilateral level, in November 2017 we helped secure consensus on the UN General Assembly Resolution on Human Rights Defenders to support and protect human rights defenders.

Cameroon: Elections

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of how (a) free and (b) fair the elections in Cameroon were on 7 October 2018.

Harriett Baldwin: The African Union's Election Observation Mission found that the elections were conducted in a relatively orderly manner in most of the country but violence affected polling in the Anglophone regions. I was concerned by reports of violence and casualties on polling day in Anglophone regions and by how difficult it was for citizens to vote there. I called on all parties to follow proper procedure for tallying results and exercise restraint.

Cameroon: Violence

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports of the escalation of violence in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: We are aware of reports of increase in violence in the Anglophone region, especially in the lead up to the Presidential elections which took place on 7 October. The situation there is such that it is difficult to obtain an accurate account of what is happening or verify social media reports. We continue to engage with the Government of Cameroon on this and wider issues and deliver the message that we want to see an end to violence and a meaningful process to address the core issues in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. We will also continue to underline that all parties have a responsibility to work for peace and stability and to use only legal and peaceful means to voice grievances.

USA: International Criminal Court

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the US Administration’s relationship with the International Criminal Court on the work of that institution; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​On 10 September US National Security Advisor, John Bolton delivered a speech concerning the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Preliminary Examination into the situation of Afghanistan. On 12 September the ICC issued a statement saying it will continue its independent and impartial work, undeterred. The UK has always been clear that the ICC can play an important role in ending impunity for the most serious international crimes. It has our full support in pursuing the mandate it was given under Rome Statute.

Prisoners: British Nationals Abroad

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which countries UK citizens are incarcerated in prisons.

Harriett Baldwin: ​As of May 2018, we are aware of 2,325 British nationals in detention in 114 countries abroad. This can include British nationals in immigration detention, in police custody, on remand awaiting trial, and sentenced prisoners. The length of custodial sentence being served by individuals ranges widely, from very short periods up to life imprisonment.

Prisoners: British Nationals Abroad

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the average length of prison sentence of UK citizens incarcerated in prisons outside the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: As of May 2018, we are aware of 2,325 British nationals in detention in 114 countries abroad. This can include British Nationals in immigration detention, in police custody, on remand awaiting trial, and sentenced prisoners. The length of custodial sentence being served by individuals ranges widely, from very short periods up to life imprisonment.

Prisoners: British Nationals Abroad

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the longest prison sentence of a UK citizen currently incarcerated in a prison outside the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: As of May 2018, we are aware of 2,325 British nationals in detention in 114 countries abroad. This can include British Nationals in immigration detention, in police custody, on remand awaiting trial, and sentenced prisoners. The length of custodial sentence being served by individuals ranges widely, from very short periods up to life imprisonment.

Prisoners: British Nationals Abroad

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the shortest prison sentence of a UK citizen incarcerated in a prison outside the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: As of May 2018, we are aware of 2,325 British nationals in detention in 114 countries abroad. This can include British Nationals in immigration detention, in police custody, on remand awaiting trial, and sentenced prisoners. The length of custodial sentence being served by individuals ranges widely, from very short periods up to life imprisonment.

Israel: Bedouin

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Middle East of 4 July 2018, Official Report, column 333, on the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, what progress he has made on the investigation.

Alistair Burt: ​My officials have looked into the matter and understand that demolitions are carried out by private contractors on behalf of the Israeli authorities. I can assure you that the Government is fully committed to encouraging respect for human rights among UK businesses, including promoting the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines. Where a company decides to trade is however a decision for each company to reach. At Prime Minister’s Questions on 17 October, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s strong opposition to Israel’s proposed demolition of Khan al-Ahmar.

Human Rights: Business

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which projects on business and human rights his Department has funded in each of the last five years; and what the total spend of each such project was in each of those years.

Mark Field: For the 2018-19 financial year, the department intends to spend through the Magna Carta Fund a total of £107,000 supporting business and human rights projects. Information for projects relating to business and human rights in previous financial years is not readily available; we will write to the Hon Member in due course.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support initiatives to bring an end to the conflict in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: ​The Goverment remains committed to supporting the UN Special Envoy's efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, including through diplomatic engagement with the parties to the conflict and countries in the region. The Foreign Secretary met the foreign ministers of the United States, United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 27 September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Foreign Secretary urged a renewed push for political progress and discussed how to put in place confidence-building measures. Through the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the Government is providing funding to the UN Special Envoy's office to bolster UN capacity to facilitate the peace process.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government received information following the inspection of Barzeh by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at any time in the six months before missile strikes were initiated against that location on 14 April 2018.

Alistair Burt: ​The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reports on a monthly basis to the UN Security Council on the Syrian chemical weapons programme. Its report of 24 November 2017 noted Syria's declaration of parts of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) and the OPCW assessment that this declaration remained incomplete. The OPCW report of 23 March 2018 reported on the inspections at the Barzeh facility of the SSRC, and repeated the conclusion that outstanding issues remained unresolved and the declaration remained incomplete.

Conservative Party: Conferences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many representations his Department has received since his reference to the Soviet Union when speaking about the EU at the Conservative party conference on 30 September 2018.

Sir Alan Duncan: None.

India: Prisoners

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indian counterpart on the seven Indians in the Orissa region who have been in prison on murder charges for 10 years awaiting an appeal hearing.

Mark Field: ​Our close relationship with the Government of India means we discuss a wide range of matters, including religious tolerance and minority rights. However, we are unable to intervene in Indian legal proceedings. An appeal hearing remains at the prerogative of the Indian authorities.

China: Organs

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on a reported increase in forced organ harvesting.

Mark Field: We are aware of reports that suggest a process of involuntary organ removal may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. The UK government fully supports the Declaration of Istanbul (May 2008), which encourages all countries to draw up legal and professional frameworks to govern organ donation and transplantation activities.As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, stated in a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”

Syria: Chemical Weapons

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2018 to Question 172062 on Syria: chemical weapons, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reported that they had been prevented from deploying to Douma by Russia and Syria.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reported in detail on 16 April and again on 18 April to the Executive Council meeting of the OPCW about the attempted deployment of the Fact Finding Mission to Douma. The UK is a member of the Executive Council and was represented at both meetings. The OPCW Director General's relevant statements to the Executive Council are available on the website of the OPCW.

Northern Ireland Office

British Irish Council

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many times the British Irish Council have met since January 2017.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Since January 2017 the British Irish Council has held two summits; one in 2017, and one in 2018.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Health Services

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people diagnosed with dementia have access to clinical support within a reasonable travelling distance from their home.

Steve Brine: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 16 October 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The number of PSA tests for suspected prostate cancer in primary care is not routinely collected.  The Government is committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 to make England the world-leader in dementia care and support, research and awareness by 2020. The joint declaration on post-diagnostic dementia care and support is an unequivocal joint commitment between the Government, health, social care, and the third sector to improve care and support for people with dementia. Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for services and support for people with dementia. The Government and NHS England would expect CCGs to commission services that take into account relevant guidance, including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and the Dementia Care Pathway, which sets out benchmarks to improve the delivery and quality of care and support.

Steve Brine: The number of PSA tests for suspected prostate cancer in primary care is not routinely collected.  The Government is committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 to make England the world-leader in dementia care and support, research and awareness by 2020. The joint declaration on post-diagnostic dementia care and support is an unequivocal joint commitment between the Government, health, social care, and the third sector to improve care and support for people with dementia. Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for services and support for people with dementia. The Government and NHS England would expect CCGs to commission services that take into account relevant guidance, including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and the Dementia Care Pathway, which sets out benchmarks to improve the delivery and quality of care and support.

Usher Syndrome: Health Education

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the (a) availability and (b) adequacy of health services for patients with Usher Syndrome.

Steve Brine: Patients with Usher syndrome have a wide range of needs, with many services being commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England commissions more specialist services such as cochlear implants (which are suitable for some patients with Usher syndrome). NHS England also commissions the complex genetic analysis associated with Usher syndrome. Whilst NHS England is considering a number of new interventions for some patients with retinitis pigmentosa, some of these interventions are not suitable for patients who are also deaf or have selective frequency hearing loss because they prevent the hearing of device alarms and alerts. CCGs are also responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and make decisions about how best to commission services that meet those needs, in partnership with other local commissioners and organisations and taking into account any relevant guidance.

Disability: Health Services

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the (a) availability and (b) adequacy of the health services provided to deafblind people.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS services must ensure that people with a sensory impairment receive information that they can access and understand, for example braille, and professional communication support, if they need it, to meet the Accessible Information Standard. The Care Quality Commission, when inspecting the quality of care delivered by providers looks at how services implement the Accessible Information Standard. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, children and young people who are deafblind may be eligible for special educational support, and health, education and social care services should work together to assess and plan to deliver this. The Care Quality Commission is inspecting all local areas over five years to assess the quality of these local arrangements for special educational need (in addition to the routine inspection of providers of health and social care).

Sign Language: Hospitals

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure hospital staff can support British sign language interpreters to assist deaf patients.

Caroline Dinenage: Compliance with the Accessible Information Standard is a legal duty: organisations that provide National Health Service care or adult social care have been required to meet the Standard since August 2016. Compliance with the Standard is also a requirement of the NHS Standard Contract 2018/19.Commissioners must actively support compliance by organisations from which they commission services and they must also seek assurance from providers with regard to compliance.The Care Quality Commission, when inspecting providers, also looks at how services implement the Accessible Information Standard.

Lung Diseases: Rehabilitation

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation.

Steve Brine: Pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the most effective treatments for chronic lung disease. Respiratory care is one of the focuses of the National Health Service long-term plan currently in development and new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are due to be published in December. The Department supports the NHS to increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation and improve the quality of care for people with long-term respiratory conditions through the following actions:- a national roll out of the RightCare programme by NHS England which directs clinical commissioning groups to offer pulmonary rehabilitation as part of an optimal pathway for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients;- the COPD best practice tariff encourages NHS providers to refer patients for pulmonary rehabilitation as a financial incentive; and- a pulmonary rehabilitation service accreditation programme run by the Royal College of Physicians.

Dental Services

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow dental therapists to hold NHS dental contracts.

Steve Brine: There are two forms of primary care dental contract, a General Dental Services Contract or a Personal Dental Services Agreement. Dental therapists are able to hold either of these providing the individual meets the general criteria set for holding such contracts or agreements. There are no plans to change these requirements.

Female Genital Mutilation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of female genital mutilation have been recorded by the NHS in the last three years.

Matt Hancock: The following table shows from April 2015 to March 2018, 16,265 individuals have been recorded, where female genital mutilation (FGM) was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken. Each patient is only counted once, no matter how many attendances they had during the year. Individuals, newly recorded and total attendances by quarter, April 2015 to March 2018, England NumberYear1Individuals2Newly Recorded3Total attendances42015/166,1856,1859,3352016/176,6405,5859,5002017/186,1954,4959,490Total16,26516,26528,325Source: NHS DigitalNotes:Figures are based on the latest state of the database – records can be added, removed or amended after the year end. As such, published figures may not match previously published figures.Individuals refers to all patients in the reporting period where FGM was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken. Each patient is only counted once, no matter how many attendances they had during the year.Newly Recorded refers to an individual’s first appearance in the FGM dataset. Newly recorded does not necessarily mean that the attendance is the woman or girl’s first attendance for FGM.

Leicester General Hospital

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many services are planned to be moved to (a) Glenfield Hospital and (b) Leicester Royal Infirmary as a result of the downgrade of Leicester General Hospital.

Stephen Barclay: Services planned to be transferred to Glenfield Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary as a result of the planned changes at Leicester General Hospital are shown in the following tables The service changes between Leicester General Hospital, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary are designed to ensure the best possible arrangements for the shared use of clinical expertise and equipment‎. These changes are also designed to provide care that is as integrated as possible for patients, reducing the need for transfers between hospitals Leicester General Hospital to Glenfield Hospital – 23 ServicesAnaestheticsGeneral SurgeryNeurosurgerySpinal SurgeryChemical PathologyGeriatric MedicineOrthopaedic SurgerySports MedicineClinical ImmunologyHepatobiliary and Pancreatic SurgeryPain ManagementStroke MedicineDermatologyHepatologyRenal Access SurgeryTransplantEndocrinologyIntegrated MedicineRheumatologyUrologyEnd Stage Renal FailureNephrologySleep   Leicester General Hospital to Leicester Royal Infirmary – 12 ServicesColorectal SurgeryMaternity ScansEmergency General SurgeryNeonatal Intensive CareGynaecologyNeonatologyGynaecology OncologyObstetricsHaematologyRheumatologyInfectious DiseasesWell Baby Leicester General Hospital to both Glenfield Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary – 4 Services.Critical Care MedicineInterventional RadiologyGastroenterologyNeurology

Blood: South West

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase the volume of blood donations in Plymouth and the South West.

Matt Hancock: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for the collection, manufacturing and issuing of blood products to the National Health Service in England. NHSBT needs to collect more than 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients in need across England. Each donation has the potential to save or improve up to three lives. NHSBT holds a number of national marketing campaigns throughout the year as part of wider activity to recruit 200,000 new donors each year to replace those who can longer donate for reasons such as illness, travel or pregnancy. There are a number of blood donation sessions in Plymouth and the South West, including Plymouth Blood Donor Centre which is open Monday to Friday. From 20 November there will be an increase in blood appointments on Tuesdays, from 29 to around 110 appointments. NHSBT regularly reviews its blood donation programme to ensure that the venues, staff numbers and session frequency are all in place to ensure that the amount of blood collected is sufficient to meet patient needs.

Diabetes: Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients have been offered structured diabetes education after their diagnosis since March 2018.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients over the age of 65 have been offered (a) diabetes education and (b) dietary intervention since March 2018.

Steve Brine: The importance of structured education and of appropriate dietary advice and support for people with diabetes is recognised. The National Diabetes Audit reporting timescales mean that data for periods since March 2018 are not yet available. Due to the time lag in allowing people a year to attend structured education, data for education of people diagnosed in 2018 will not be published until the autumn of 2020. Data is not collected on dietary intervention.

Diabetes: Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS patients with diabetes have been offered on-going nutritional advice by a registered dietitian since March 2018.

Steve Brine: The information requested is not centrally held.

Diabetes: Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the take-up of dietary patterns that reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Steve Brine: Being overweight or obese is the main modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes, therefore, Public Health England (PHE) encourages the population to follow a healthy balanced diet through a variety of communications including the Government’s 5 A Day campaign, PHE’s catering guidance, the Change4Life and OneYou social marketing campaigns and the NHS.UK website.Following the dietary pattern advocated by the Eatwell Guide, maintaining a healthy weight and following the Chief Medical Officer’s physical activity recommendations will help to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes: Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) overweight and (b) obese NHS patients with type 2 diabetes that achieved weight loss of at least 15kg since their diagnosis.

Steve Brine: The information requested is not centrally held.

Exercise

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage people to undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week.

Steve Brine: We are committed to promoting physical activity. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recently launched Moving Medicine, which is a practical web tool for health professionals to use with their patients and Public Health England is working with the Royal Colleges to embed physical activity within clinical practice so that health professionals can use routine consultations to promote physical activity. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers have also endorsed and published physical activity guidelines for disabled adults to encourage them to be active.

Diabetes: Pregnancy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of pregnant women with diabetes that have taken 5mg of folic acid a day until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy.

Steve Brine: The National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) Audit provides a view of the care of women with pre-existing diabetes1 in pregnancy, and the outcomes of those pregnancies. NPID covers pregnancies in England and Wales and measures the effectiveness of care against National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guidelines2. In 2016, 172 antenatal diabetes services participated in the audit. The most recent NPID Audit in 2016 reports on the number of pregnancies where women with diabetes took folic acid at a dose of 5mg up to the end of the twelfth week of pregnancy and can be found in the following table. The following table details the number of pregnancies which ended in 2016 in women with pre-existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and where the mother took a 5mg dose of folic acid up to the end of the 12th week of pregnancy.  Type 1 diabetesType 2 diabetesTotal pregnancies1,6231,610Number of pregnancies where women took 5mg folic acid679367Percentage of pregnancies where women took 5mg of folic acid41.822.8 Notes:NPID does not report on gestational diabetes.NICE Diabetes in Pregnancy: Management of diabetes and its complications from pre-conception to the post natal period is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/NG3

Sugar: Consumption

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to encourage people to ingest lower amounts of (a) free sugars, (b) sugar-sweetened beverages, (c) added fructose and (d) polyols.

Steve Brine: Many of the key measures in our childhood obesity plan will have an impact on reducing sugar intake across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions of fatty and sugary products, calorie labelling in restaurants, and banning the sale of energy drinks to children, which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume. Public Health England’s flagship social marketing campaign, Change4Life, supports the Government’s sugar reduction agenda. In recent years there have been a number of Change4Life campaigns to encourage families to cut down on sugar, including Sugar Swaps (2015), Sugar Smart (2016), Be Food Smart (2017) and a healthier snacking campaign in 2018. These campaigns work alongside other One You campaigns encouraging adults to adopt a more healthy diet.

Breast Cancer: East Sussex

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of specialised nursing care for people with secondary breast cancer in (a) East Sussex and (b) Brighton and Hove.

Steve Brine: Service models, for the provision of specialised nursing care for people with secondary breast cancer, are a matter for local trusts. East Sussex and Brighton and Hove both offer excellent care for those living with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis. East Sussex offers a well-established, integrated specialist nursing service for all people with breast cancer. The service consists of four Macmillan Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) clinically led by a Macmillan Nurse Consultant. They employ an integrated service model where each CNS is equally skilled in caring for patients with breast cancer at all stages of their care, and patients are signposted to other group and individual support services such as their Cancer Counselling Service. The Brighton and Sussex Cancer Centre is one of the few in the United Kingdom which has a specifically designated metastatic breast care nurse and the Cancer Alliance is seeking to share their experience with the rest of the region. In the Cancer Workforce Plan for England, published in December 2017, Health Education England (HEE) set out the case for the need to target additional training support for several priority professions, including clinical radiology, histopathology, oncology and diagnostic and therapeutic radiography. During HEE’s follow-up work to phase 1 of the Cancer Workforce Plan, the cancer nurse workforce will also be reviewed. Health Education England will support the expansion of Cancer Nurse Specialists so that every patient has access to a CNS or other support worker by 2021. We plan to work with partners like East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Cancer Alliances and Macmillan to identify and develop clear career pathways into the CNS role as part of a wider review of the contribution nurses can make to cancer.

Hospitals: Admissions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of emergency admissions to NHS trusts in England from people over 65 years of age within 28 days of discharge in each financial year from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate the number of emergency admissions among people aged over 80 within 28 days of their discharge from hospital by NHS trust for each calendar year from 2013 to 2018.

Stephen Barclay: The information is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Co-proxamol

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to review guidance on the licensing and availability of co-proxamol.

Matt Hancock: There are currently no plans to review the licensing or availability of co-proxamol.Co-proxamol is a combination of paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene which was licensed for the treatment of pain.In 2004, the safety of co-proxamol was reviewed and it was concluded that the benefits of co-proxamol did not outweigh the risks of accidental overdose and death and that co-proxamol should be withdrawn from the market. All licences in the United Kingdom were cancelled by the end of 2007.This was communicated to healthcare professionals in January 2005 with reminders in 2007 and 2011. Where possible existing patients were to be switched to alternative pain medication and no new patients should have been prescribed co-proxamol. It remains the case that co-proxamol is an item that should not be routinely dispensed in primary care following NHS England guidance.As an unlicensed medicine, co-proxamol can be prescribed on a named patient basis if it is judged to be the most appropriate treatment by the prescribing doctor.

Drugs: Disclosure of Information

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 176272 on Drugs: Imports, if he will place in the Library a copy of the non-disclosure agreements his Department has requested pharmaceutical companies to sign.

Stephen Barclay: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Drugs

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis was for the request to pharmaceutical companies to increase stocks of medicines by six weeks in August 2018; and what recent estimate he has made of the length of time that there will be border disruption in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: Six weeks is the current cross-Government planning assumption that the Department is using as the basis for our contingency plans but will of course be subject to revision in light of future developments.

Palliative Care

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that end of life patients are able to die at home.

Caroline Dinenage: Our Commitment to you for end of life care’, published in 2016, set out what everyone should expect from their care at the end of life and the actions we are taking to make high quality, personalised care a reality for everyone. This includes measures to enable personalisation; improve care quality; enhance education and training in end of life care; and encourage the spread of innovative models of care. The Commitment also sets out that by 2020 we want to significantly improve patient choice, including ensuring an increase in the number of people able to die in the place of their choice, including at home.Through the Mandate to NHS England, we have asked NHS England to deliver the Choice Commitment, and for 2018-19, we have set NHS England the objective of increasing the percentage of people identified as likely to be in their last year of life. Earlier identification should mean that a person’s end of life care can be improved by personalising it according to their needs and preferences at an earlier stage and to enable the right care planning can take place which is key to supporting someone to die in a place of choice. NHS England will use the Quality and Outcomes Framework to demonstrate such an increase by looking at the percentage of people who are on the general practitioner register for supportive and palliative care, and consider expected levels based on local populations. Currently the national English average is 0.37%, it is anticipated this figure will increase in the 2018/19 period.NHS England has launched an ‘Identification Project’ with four integrated care systems/sustainability and transformation partnership areas to demonstrate how the number of people identified in the last year of life can be increased in practice, to train staff and share learning.

NHS: Negligence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve the quality of assessments of liability by the NHS in advance of the commencement of legal proceedings.

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of assessments of liability by the NHS in advance of the commencement of legal proceedings in the last three years.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England. The Department oversees the performance of NHS Resolution in relation to claims management through its sponsorship arrangements which include a Framework Document and quarterly accountability meetings with reporting against a range of Key Performance Indicators. In addition, the National Audit Office has conducted a Value for Money assessment of the costs of clinical negligence, including examining the role and activities of NHS Resolution in detail. No concerns have been raised to NHS Resolution in relation to its decision making through either process. NHS Resolution has advised that 70% of cases were resolved in 2017/18 without court proceedings of which 39% resulted in no payment of damages. Less than 1% go to trial with most ending in judgment in favour of the NHS. All its cases are thoroughly reviewed and in the great majority of clinical negligence cases, NHS Resolution obtains independent expert evidence before reaching a decision on liability.

NHS: Negligence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of the litigated claims in which the NHS paid damages in the last 12 months were as a result of (a) breach of duty and (b) or causation.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England. NHS Resolution has provided the following information. NHS Resolution has advised it does not pay damages unless on the balance of probabilities there is both a breach of duty and causation. NHS Resolution’s last audited period of accounts which is contained in its Annual Report for 2017-18 showed that it had 3,902 cases where damages have been paid on litigated claims settled in the financial year 2017-18.

Lung Diseases: Rehabilitation

Sir Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation.

Sir Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the World COPD Day on 21 November 2018, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the NHS long-term plan includes an expansion of pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Steve Brine: Pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the most effective treatments for chronic lung disease. Respiratory care is one of the areas being considered as part of the National Health Service long-term plan currently in development and new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are due to be published in December. The Department supports the NHS to increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation and improve the quality of care for people with long-term respiratory conditions through the following actions: - a national roll out of the RightCare programme by NHS England which directs clinical commissioning groups to offer pulmonary rehabilitation as part of an optimal pathway for COPD patients;- the COPD best practice tariff encourages NHS providers to refer patients for pulmonary rehabilitation as a financial incentive;- a pulmonary rehabilitation service accreditation programme run by the Royal College of Physicians.

General Practitioners: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the ratio of GPs to patients was in each Liverpool parliamentary constituency in each of the past 10 years.

Steve Brine: The ratio of patients per general practitioner is provided in the table attached. Figures are not available at a parliamentary constituency level; therefore figures have been included at the lowest available level corresponding to these areas, specifically primary care trusts prior to 2013, and clinical commissioning groups from 2013 onwards.

Mental Health

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the effects of loneliness on physical and mental health in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.

Caroline Dinenage: On Monday 15 October the Prime Minister launched England’s first Loneliness Strategy which lays the foundation for people to build better and more meaningful connections. The Government is committed to working alongside businesses, healthcare professionals, charities, community groups and local authorities to have a real and lasting impact on loneliness and reduce its impact on physical and mental health.

Audiology: Paediatrics

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of audiologists specialising in paediatrics that will be needed up to 2020.

Caroline Dinenage: Data on local National Health Service plans covering the number of audiologists specialising in paediatrics that will be needed up to 2020 is not collected centrally. Responsibility for assessing and managing staffing levels, including specialty staff, rests with individual NHS trusts and their boards who are best placed to decide how many staff they need to provide a given service.

Audiology: Paediatrics

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a national tariff for paediatric audiology services.

Caroline Dinenage: There is not a distinct paediatric audiology outpatient price. However national tariffs are available for daycase, elective and non elective care for Audiometry or Hearing Assessments, between five and 18 year olds and Audiometry or Hearing Assessment for four year olds and under.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that clinical commissioning groups spend funds allocated for children and young people’s mental health services on those services.

Matt Hancock: It is not always possible to track actual expenditure on specific services against all funds allocated for those services. However, we can confirm that the clinical commissioning group spend on children and young people’s mental health has increased, rising from £516 million in 2015/16, to £619 million in 2016/17 and to £687 million in 2017/18. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2017-2019 makes it clear that additional transformation funding for mental health care made available to support the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health should “not be used to supplant existing spend or balance reductions elsewhere”. This requirement applies to deliverables for improved children and young people’s mental health services as well as for adult services.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.16 of the National Audit Office report, Improving children and young people’s mental health services, published on 9 October 2018, what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department's ability to measure the expansion of NHS workforce against sustainability and transformation plans of Health Education England not expecting to have data on the number of NHS staff working in children and young people’s services until 2019.

Matt Hancock: Although some relevant data on staff roles is available on the National Health Service Electronic Staff Record, this does not currently align with the staff groups targeted for growth within the mental health workforce plan. Because the Department is keen to track progress with implementation of the plan we asked Health Education England (HEE) to develop a Mental Health Workforce Dashboard to monitor plans for the delivery of the workforce targets. This uses:- Data from Strategic Transformation Partnership regional plans (to monitor staff expansion plans);- NHS Digital data to track the size of the whole mental health workforce;- Data from NHS Improvement on staff retention rates; and- Data from HEE on the numbers of trainee staff currently studying and those undertaking specific courses for upskilling themselves to work in mental health. For the longer term a project is underway, led by the Department, to improve the way in which NHS Digital data captures changes in workforce numbers. We are hoping that this will enable more accurate reporting of actual staff changes from early next financial year.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 14 on page 9 of the National Audit Office report, Improving children and young people's mental health services, published on 9 October 2018, what steps he is taking to recruit additional NHS staff to work in those services.

Matt Hancock: Health Education England (HEE) has established a Mental Health Workforce Delivery Group attended by the Department and its arm’s length bodies. The group oversees implementation of the workforce plan through regional Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs). HEE have introduced an online resource for their regional leads in support of workforce planning, called ‘Recipe for good workforce planning’. This includes a ‘confirm and challenge’ process whereby HEE Regional Leads work closely with STP partners to ensure that workforce growth is happening according to STP delivery plans. Regional leads challenge where plans for staff expansion fall short of those required by ‘Stepping Forward’ and ensure that plans are in place to mitigate risks. NHS England is also holding quarterly ‘deep dives’ with all the regional teams to review progress against provider and STP level plans.

Epilepsy: Nutrition

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of medical nutrition on the management of drug-resistant epilepsy.

Steve Brine: The Department has made no specific assessment of the effect of medical nutrition, also known as the ketogenic diet, on the management of drug-resistant epilepsy. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence sets out best practice guidance for clinicians in ‘Epilepsies: diagnosis and management’ which is available at the following link: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg137

Stem Cells: Donors

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that adequate numbers of donors are available for patients requiring a stem cell transplant.

Matt Hancock: Since 2011 the Department has provided more than £26 million in financial support to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and Anthony Nolan to enable improved provision of stem cells for patients requiring a transplant, supporting the recruitment and management of donors. Departmental funding has also enabled the establishment of a unified stem cell registry for the United Kingdom, the ‘Anthony Nolan and the NHS Stem Cell Registry’. There are now 1.4 million potential donors on the UK’s aligned registry. Each of the UK’s stem cell registries that collectively form the ‘Anthony Nolan and the NHS Stem Cell Registry’ is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) – a group of organisations and individuals who promote global collaboration and best practices for the benefit of stem cell donors and transplant patients. The WMDA’s ‘Search and Match Service’ is a global database of life-saving donors that provides a fast search facility to find the best matched donor or cord blood unit in the world for a patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant.

Hospices: Finance

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much statutory funding each Clinical Commissioning Group in England provided to hospices in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage: This information is not held centrally. As with many NHS services, the funding and commissioning of palliative and end of life care is a local matter, over which individual National Health Service commissioners have responsibility.

Influenza: Vaccination

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that GPs contact patients who are entitled to a free flu vaccination invite those patients to be vaccinated.

Steve Brine: The general practitioner (GP) Contract and the ‘Directed Enhanced Service Specification; Seasonal influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination programme 2018/19’ describes the service that GPs should offer. GPs are expected to proactively call eligible patients for vaccination and also to recall them if they are defined as at risk due to an underlying medical condition. During each season, NHS England teams take all opportunities in their communication with practices to reinforce this requirement, and Public Health England have made available resources to encourage GPs to promote flu vaccination.

Influenza: Vaccination

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people eligible for free flu vaccination have received that vaccine in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: Data on the proportion of people eligible for a free flu vaccination that have received vaccine in each of the last five years is available in the attached table.



PQ180648 attached document
(Excel SpreadSheet, 60.12 KB)

Pigmeat

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of England's pig stock slaughtered annually do not pass vet inspections for release into the human food chain.

Steve Brine: The proportion of total condemnations was 0.12% for pigs in Food Standard Agency approved slaughterhouses in England.

Cattle

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of England's total cattle stock slaughtered annually do not pass vet inspections for release into the human food chain.

Steve Brine: The proportion of total condemnations was 0.40% for cattle in Food Standard Agency approved slaughterhouses in England.

Pregnancy Loss Review

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the publication of the findings of the pregnancy loss review.

Matt Hancock: The Pregnancy Loss Review was commissioned by the Department in March 2018.The Department continues to work with the Review’s independent co-leads to engage with stakeholders such as parents, charities and medical professionals. The findings of the Review are intended to be published in 2019.

Sheep

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of England's total sheep stock slaughtered annually do not pass vet inspections for release into the human food chain.

Steve Brine: The proportion of total condemnations was 0.17% for sheep in Food Standard Agency approved slaughterhouses in England.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Prime Minister on 17 October 2018, if he will publish the procedure for a diabetic to obtain a Freestyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System through the NHS.

Steve Brine: The Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee North, one of four NHS England committees providing guidance on the use of drugs and devices, has issued advice on the use of Freestyle Libre to support clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), suggesting a careful start to its use and data collection to better understand the benefits for patients. However, ultimately it is for CCGs, who are primarily responsible for commissioning diabetes services, to meet the requirements of their population. In doing so, they need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, are based on the available evidence and take into account national guidelines.

Influenza: Vaccination

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the provision of the FluMist flu vaccine in schools; whether take-up of that vaccine by schools is voluntary; and what procedures his Department has put in place for parents who do not wish their children to be immunised with that vaccine.

Steve Brine: The take-up of Fluenz, the children's flu vaccine, is voluntary and parents are provided with a consent form to be completed before vaccination through the schools programme. A child who is unable to have the live attenuated influenza vaccine, for reasons other than being medically contraindicated, will continue to derive benefit from the programme by virtue of the reduction of transmission among their peers.

Allergies: Medical Equipment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of epipens.

Steve Brine: The Department is working very closely with all the manufacturers of adrenaline auto-injectors, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, and others to try to resolve these issues and improve the situation as quickly as possible. Supplies of adult adrenaline auto-injectors are currently available and sufficient to meet demand. Additional supplies of junior adrenaline auto-injectors have arrived this week and the situation is expected to improve further in the coming weeks.

NHS: Waste Disposal

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to (a) NHS trusts and (b) the public purse of transferring clinical waste management contracts from Healthcare Environment Services to Mitie at 15 NHS trusts.

Stephen Barclay: The National Health Service trusts will meet the increase in cost to have their waste disposed of by Mitie. It is not possible at this stage to disclose the cost differential from transferring the contract from Healthcare Environment Services to Mitie, as the Mitie contract has been let on a price per tonne basis for all waste collected from the 15 trusts, rather than an overall contract price. Details of the price per tonne paid to Mitie is subject to commercial sensitivity.

NHS: Waste Disposal

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to NHS trusts for the transfer of clinical waste management contracts from Healthcare Environment Services to Mitie, including any legal expenses; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: All costs relating to the transfer of clinical waste management contracts from Healthcare Environment Services to Mitie, including any legal expenses, will be met from the overall group funding budget for health.

Urology: Medical Equipment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the import and export of urology devices to the UK of the UK not reaching a deal on the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Stephen Barclay: Patient safety is paramount in our exit negotiations and maintaining continuity of supply of medical products is a key part of ensuring patients continue to receive the safe high-quality care they need on day one of European Union exit and thereafter. While we remain confident of getting a good exit deal for the United Kingdom, the Department is making extensive preparations for a variety of EU Exit scenarios including planning for a No Deal outcome to ensure that there is no disruption to the supply of medical devices. The Government’s plans are multifaceted and include increasing stock levels nationally, putting in place arrangements to facilitate continued supply of products directly from the EU, and working with key suppliers, wholesalers and distributors to ensure that they are securing their own supply channels. These plans cover medical devices and clinical consumables including urology devices.

Urology: Medical Equipment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that urology devices produced in the UK can continue to be sold in the EU without regulatory barriers after the UK leaves the EU.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure the maintenance of frictionless trade in relation to medical devices after the UK leaves the EU.

Matt Hancock: The Government is committed to the safe and effective regulation of medical devices in the United Kingdom; ensuring patients and the public have fast access to new, innovative devices. The future regulatory system for medical devices is subject to negotiation. The White Paper proposal sets out a proposed UK-European Union free trade area for goods, to ensure continued frictionless access at the border to each other’s markets, underpinned by an upfront commitment to a common rulebook on goods and a Facilitated Customs Arrangement to avoid customs checks and controls at our borders. Furthermore, UK and EU negotiating teams have already agreed a time-limited implementation period that will maintain access to each other’s markets on current terms - providing certainty for businesses across the EU and UK and time to prepare for the future. On 22 August the Government also set out its plans for medical devices regulation in the unlikely event of no deal, through a technical notice. This announced that the UK will recognise medical devices approved for the EU market and CE-marked, and will also comply with all key elements of the Medical Devices Regulation and the in vitro diagnostic Regulations, which will apply in the EU from May 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Medical Equipment: UK Trade with EU

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that tariffs are not levied on the import of EU produced medical devices after the UK has left the EU.

Stephen Barclay: The Government’s White Paper that was published in July 2018, 'The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union', sets out the UK’s vision for a bold, ambitious and innovative new partnership with the EU. The White Paper makes proposals for a free trade area between the UK and EU with zero tariffs across all goods, including medical devices and also agricultural, food and fisheries products, with no quotas.We continue to negotiate to secure a partnership which would allow as frictionless as possible movement of goods between the UK and the EU, without tariffs or other trade barriers. The Government’s White Paper is the best way to achieve this and ensure an ambitious new partnership with the EU, whilst respecting the referendum result and the integrity of the United Kingdom.We remain confident that a deal can be achieved between the UK and the EU. However, as is our duty as a responsible Government we are preparing for all scenarios. In order to be prepared for such a scenario the Government is considering a range of options for our future tariff regime and will carefully consider the evidence available to us before making a final decision in the interests of UK business, consumers and patients.The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences sectors in the world. This Government is committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the sector, that enhances competitiveness and builds on the success that we are rightly proud of, as we exit the European Union. We want our deep and special partnership with the EU to include life sciences and to ensure that patients are protected.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Nature Conservation

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of Official Development Assistance is spent on protecting endangered species.

Harriett Baldwin: There is no exact figure for the proportion of overseas development assistance spent on protecting endangered species. DFID is supporting a range of activities to support tackling IWT and to conserve nature and wildlife, including by reducing poverty, strengthening borders and creating green corridors, including committing over £600m funding between 2011-2021. This includes:- £150m for the Global Environment Facility from 2018 to 2022 (as well as £100m from Defra) – this includes the world’s biggest fund on tackling IWT, the Global Wildlife Programme, of which the UK has contributed $17m (approximate £13m) during the same period.- £46m from 2013 to 2021 countering Illicit Financial Flows in Africa and mobilising international action against corruption.- £328m from 2011 to 2021 to support work in the forestry sector, increasing trade in legal timber and reducing the demand for illegal and unsustainable food and timber products.

Department for International Development: Social Media

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on promoted content on (a) Twitter, (b) Facebook and (c) Instagram in each month since June 2017.

Harriett Baldwin: The Department for International Development has spent £0 on promoted activity with these platforms since June 2017 through its media buying agency Carat. The Department spent £1,000 on Facebook to drive up awareness of Soccer Aid for UNICEF in June 2018.

Bangladesh: Non-governmental Organisations

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the Bangladeshi Government to ensure there are no delays in granting access to international NGOs operating in Bangladesh.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any of her Department's partners have had their permits to operate within the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar rescinded by the Government of Bangladesh; and if she will make a statement.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her Bangladeshi counterparts on allowing NGOs to carry radios in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of NGO concerns regarding access and ability to deliver in the camps. DFID Bangladesh humanitarian leads are in regular contact with the head of the NGO platform in Cox’s Bazar and directly with our NGO partners. We and other development partners work with UN agencies to raise issues with the Bangladesh government including timely and transparent processing of authorisations.NGOs have discussed access to radios with the UN Resident Coordinator and Government officials. Currently NGOs can only access radios through UN partners, which creates some restrictions. DFID is aware of these issues, and continues to raise this issue with the UN.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department has allocated to mental health support for Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar.

Alistair Burt: Up to March 2018, the £59m first tranche of UK funding to the humanitarian crisis included support to ACF and UNICEF to provide emergency psychosocial support to adults and adolescents; play sessions to ease stress and trauma for children under 16 years; and established child friendly spaces for 34,019 children.In March 2018, a further tranche of £70m was announced and included funding to UNHCR and UNICEF to provide support to adolescents with life-skill based education and safe spaces, and support sexual and gender-based survivors with appropriate assistance.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the UK's contribution to humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees includes resources to improve lighting in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: UK funding to ICRC has supported: light installation in 53 gender segregated latrines and bathing spaces; 13 newly constructed latrine blocks with solar lighting; 115 street lights; 8,500 solar lamps, with priority to women and girls; and 5,000 solar lanterns for Rohingya, with plans to distribute a further 36,000 solar lanterns this year. Funding to IOM and Christian Aid will support the installation of solar lamps in camps covering almost 10,000 refugees.

Israel: Palestinians

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of Israeli Government restrictions on the movement of goods into Gaza on UNWRA provided aid and humanitarian resources in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: I remain deeply concerned about restrictions on movement and access in Gaza, and the impact that this is having on the humanitarian situation. We have not made a specific assessment of the effect of these restrictions on UNRWA, which liaises with the Government of Israel directly to coordinate the movement of goods for their operations. Nevertheless, my officials and I regularly raise the need to ease restrictions on Gaza with our counterparts in the Government of Israel.

Israel: Palestinians

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the amount of international aid funding allocated to properties at Khirbet al-Halawah that were demolished by Israeli forces; what (a) discussions she has had with her counterparts in the EU and (b) representations she has made to the Israeli Government on those demolitions; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), nine structures have been demolished in Khirbet al-Halawah so far in 2018, of which four were donor funded. We have not made an estimate of the value of international aid allocated to these structures. No structures directly funded by the UK in the West Bank in recent years have been demolished. Whilst we have not raised these specific demolitions with counterparts in the European Union or the Government of Israel, we continue to raise concerns with the Israeli authorities about demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes in general, which cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, calls into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution, and, in all but the most exceptional cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The UK supports Palestinian communities at risk of forcible transfer in Area C of the West Bank through a legal aid programme, which helps residents challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. Additionally, we are supporting Palestinian development in Area C and helping nearly 500 Palestinian families to remain on their land through improving infrastructure and enabling access to education and health services.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the value for money of the provision of development assistance to Bangladesh for freedom of expression and political engagement.

Alistair Burt: The Strengthening Political Participation phase 2 (SPP2) programme works to track, mitigate and prevent violence in politics and elections. The social and economic costs to families and communities are very high - before and after the 2014 elections, almost 900 people were killed and over 38,000 were injured across Bangladesh. Whilst the SPP2 programme cannot guarantee an end to violence in politics, it makes an important contribution to this aim. The SPP2 programme is subject to annual review which includes an annual Value for Money (VfM) assessment. The first and most recent annual review of SPP2 was conducted in April 2018 and is published online via DFID’s web portal for Bangladesh. Overall the VfM propositions made in the business case remain on track.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the progress of the strengthening political participation phase two aid project in Bangladesh.

Alistair Burt: The last annual review of the Strengthening Political Participation phase 2 (SPP2) Programme was carried out in April 2018. In the first year the project scored an ‘A’ and all programme components were under implementation. The annual review is published on DFID’s web portal and contains recommendations on how to maximise the impact of the programme in an election year. The next review is due by April 2019. Diplomatic engagement also supports SPP2 goals and activities pushing for inclusive and peaceful elections in Bangladesh and increased tolerance for open debate and dialogue. DFID is still confident that the SPP2 Programme provides critical support to democratic governance in the country and is more relevant than ever in an election year.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her Department has taken to support people in Yemen affected by the conflict in that country.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to be at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Yemen, helping secure vital access for food, fuel and medicine to enter the country and consistently being one of the largest donors to the crisis. On 3 April 2018, the UK announced an additional £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for this financial year (2018/2019). This funding will meet immediate food needs for 2.5 million Yemenis and will bring the total UK bilateral support to Yemen to over £570 million since 2015.Most recently, on World Food Day (16 October), the UK announced a package of £96.5 million which will help UNICEF tackle malnutrition in Yemen over the coming three years. This package will screen 2.2 million children under the age of five for malnutrition and provide urgent treatment for 70,000 of the most vulnerable children.

Developing Countries: Brexit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on (a) producers and (b) workers in developing countries.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is working closely with other governmental departments in taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared for a no deal outcome, to ensure we will be able to meet our development objectives in all scenarios. We remain committed to spending 0.7% of our national income on development assistance. The UK is preparing for a range of possible scenarios to maintain existing trading relationships, and our Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act enables the UK to put in place a UK trade preferences scheme for developing countries. As the UK exits the EU, we will seek to replicate the effects of the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements, which are development-focused trade deals with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to provision of secure and properly screened toilets for Rohingya women refugees in Bangladesh in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt: The UK has been a leading donor in responding to the Rohingya crisis; since August 2017 we have committed £129m. The needs of women and girls are a key consideration of all our programming This support has already delivered toilets and hygiene facilities for over one million people and emergency latrines for over 280,000 people. This includes the construction of 53 latrines and bathing spaces that are segregated for women and girls and have lights installed for their safety. Recent allocations to partners, including Christian Aid, UNICEF and UNHCR, will support additional latrines, tube wells, water points and bathing cubicles and 14 women friendly spaces with washing and sanitation facilities.

Department for Education

Children: Dyslexia

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on assessments for children who may have dyslexia.

Nadhim Zahawi: Schools are required under the Children and Families Act (2014) to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils or students they support, and guidance is set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice. This includes arranging for appropriate tests where the school’s own assessments indicate that this is necessary

Schools: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the cost of relocating flood defences to enable a school to be built on the Bowring sports ground SE12; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: As is usual when developing proposals for a new free school, the department has undertaken various site surveys and consultations. This has informed the development of the design and provided an estimate of construction costs for the proposed new school. In this case, this includes investigating options and obtaining estimated costs to relocate part of the existing flood defences at the former Bowring Sports Ground. At this stage, the estimated cost to relocate the existing flood defences is approximately £604,000. The proposals remain, however, subject to obtaining planning permission and the procurement of a building contractor. As such, this figure will be subject to further refinement as the plans are developed. When planning approval is achieved, the department will procure a contractor to construct the new school, and construction costs will be agreed at that time.

Assessments: Standards

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of requests for exam re-marking for (a) GCSE, (b) BTEC, and (c) A-Level exams by students at (i) community and academy comprehensive schools, (ii) community and academy grammar schools, and (iii) private schools in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Social Work

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the adequacy of funding allocated to (a) Step Up to Social Work (b) other programmes that promote diversity in the social work profession; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is committed to continuing investment in the education and training of social workers and securing a diverse workforce representative of service users. A further round of applications to Step Up to Social Work will launch in February next year with up to 700 participants starting training in January 2020. The department is also currently procuring provision of fast-track social work education in 2020 and 2021 following the successful Frontline programme. Separately, the government supports proposals for a new graduate apprenticeship which will provide a route into social work for a broader range of people. This is in addition to existing investment in bursaries for social work students attending traditional university social work degree programmes.

Local Government: Private Finance Initiative

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 173578 on Local Government: Private Finance Initiative, how much funding his Department has allocated in the form of private finance initiative (a) grants and (b) credits to each local authority in each financial year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: Since 2010, the Department has not allocated any new funding to local authorities for Private Finance Initiative projects.

Academies: Nottingham

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 176282 on Academies: Nottingham, for what reason (a) Park Vale Academy, (b) Bluecoat Academy (Aspley Lane), (c) Glenbrook Academy and (d) Springfield Academy were not included in the list provided in his Answer of 4 September 2018 to Question 167263 on Academies: Private Finance Initiative.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Hearing Impairment

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding available to local authorities for specialist education services for deaf children.

Nadhim Zahawi: We want children with special educational needs and disabilities to be able to reach their full potential.Nationally, high needs funding has risen by £1 billion since 2013-14, to just under £6 billion in 2018-19. Allocations for individual local authorities can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.However, we recognise that costs have increased which is why we are providing extensive support to schools to deliver the best value possible with available resources. This includes a high needs benchmarking tool to allow local authorities to compare their spending in this area.We are monitoring the impact of our national funding formula on high needs and are keeping the overall level of funding under review.

Special Educational Needs

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs.

Nadhim Zahawi: The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act (2014) were the biggest in a generation. Since then, we have given £391 million to local areas to support implementation of the new duties under the act and a great deal of progress has been made with 98% of statements transferred to education, health and care (EHC) plans, where appropriate, by April 2018.We want to ensure that families are able to participate meaningfully in developing local services and have a contract worth £20 million with the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and Contact, to improve local information, advice and support and provide a national helpline; and a contract worth £3.8 million with Contact, in partnership with KIDS and the CDC, to promote and develop strategic participation by young people and parent carers.We have in place a new contract with the Whole School SEND Consortium to embed SEND within approaches to school improvement in order to equip the workforce to deliver high quality teaching across all types of special educational needs. The programme of work includes building a community of practice with the involvement of 10,000 schools by 2020 and 15,000 schools by 2022, across the eight regional schools commissioners’ regions.We are establishing a SEND Commissioning Board for children and young people with high needs to help support local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups to improve planning and commissioning of SEND provision.We have published a roadmap for reforming alternative provision that will see us focus on sharing best practice across the sector and launched a £4 million innovation fund. We have also announced an externally led review of school exclusions, carried out by former children’s minister Edward Timpson CBE, looking into why certain groups of pupils – including those with SEND – are more likely to be excluded than others, and launched a review into the outcomes of and support for children in need. Finally, we have asked Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission to design a programme of further local area SEND inspections to follow the current round and to develop an approach for further inspection or monitoring of those areas required to produce a written statement of action. The inspections consider how effectively local areas identify, meet the needs of and improve the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. They have proved a catalyst for supporting local areas to improve their services and deliver better outcomes for children and young people.

Freedom and Autonomy for Schools National Association: Electronic Government

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the speech entitled Damian Hinds speech at Confederation of School Trusts conference, published by his Department on 11 October 2018, for what reasons parts of that speech have been redacted on the gov.uk website; and who took the decision to redact sections of that speech.

Nadhim Zahawi: In line with the Government Communications Service propriety guidance, published by the Cabinet Office and based on the Civil Service Code, the Department for Education redacted political content from the version published on GOV.UK. The guidance is available at:https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Government-Communication-Propriety-Guidance-Feb-16-1.pdf. The speech by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/damian-hinds-speech-at-confederation-of-school-trusts-conference.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 10 October 2018 on Government Asset Sale, HCWS979, what book value his Department has placed on the student loans to be sold in the second sale.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The department calculates the book value for the pool of loans for any given sale after the sale has completed, and the fully audited number for the second sale will be available in the 2018-2019 annual accounts.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 6 December 2017 on Government Asset Sale, HCWS317, what estimate he has made of what the minimum price for the sale was that would have achieved value for money according to HM Treasury Green Book rules.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Disclosing the minimum value is considered commercially sensitive and would put achieving the best value for money for future sales at risk. The approach to Sale 1, including the tests the department used to assess value for money, was reviewed by the National Audit Office, which concluded that in terms of preparation, process and proceeds, the government achieved value for money. Following HM Treasury Green Book principles, the department used a range of measures to assess that the sale offered value for money, as set out in the report that was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 7 December 2017.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Written Statement of 6 December 2017 on Government Asset Sale, HCWS317, if he will publish the full value for money assessment undertaken in this asset sale; and what the the evidential basis was for his Department’s conclusion that the sale represented value for money according to HM Treasury Green Book rules.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It is a requirement of Section 4 of the Sale of Student Loans Act (2008), that the Secretary of State lay a report before Parliament about arrangements following a sale, including the extent to which the arrangements give good value, within three months of a sale. For Sale 1, this report was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 7 December 2017.

Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of fixed-period exclusions in secondary schools in (a) the North East of England and (b) England.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) exclusions and (b) instances of off-rolling in school year (a) ten and (b) eleven there were in the North East of England in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: The National Statistics release ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England 2016 to 2017’ includes information on the number and rate of permanent and fixed period exclusions. The full release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017.[1]The attached table provides the number of exclusions in the North East of England in national curriculum years 10 and 11 for academic years 2010/11 to 2016/17.The Department does not hold information centrally on the number of pupils taken off roll. Local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to establish the identities of children of compulsory school age in their area who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise.The law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended.If a school removes a child from their roll when not at the point of a standard transition, it must inform the local authority and set out the grounds for their action. When removing a pupil’s name, the notification to the local authority must include: the full name of the pupil, the full name and address of any parent with whom the pupil normally resides, at least one telephone number of the parent, and the pupil’s future address and destination school, if applicable. [1] National and regional information by academic year is available in the Underlying data section of the release, in the file ‘national_region_la_school_data_exc1617.csv’. The data can be filtered by the columns ‘year’, ‘level’ and ‘region_name’. 



180188_180189_Exclusions_years_10_and_11
(PDF Document, 16.77 KB)

Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support pupils who have been excluded from secondary school to access (a) apprenticeships and (b) other forms of post-16 training.

Nick Gibb: There are duties in place to make sure that suitable, full time alternative provision (AP) is available for children of compulsory school age who have been excluded for a fixed period or permanently. Local authorities are responsible for making sure that provision meets the needs of young people in their area. This includes identifying 16 to 19 year olds who are not in education, employment or training, such as those excluded from school, and providing the help they need to participate and progress. Young people have access to a range of support and guidance, including the 16-19 Bursary Fund to assist with the costs associated with staying in post-16 further education, and Access to Work funding to support apprentices who are disabled or have a physical or mental health condition. In March 2018, the Government published its vision for AP, including a plan for improving the support it offers to young people.The Department will continue to engage with AP and post-16 providers to identify and share new ways of helping young people make the transition into post-16 settings, apprenticeships and adult life. The Department has published primary research into the recent experiences of children, schools, AP and post-16 providers regarding this transition. The Department has also announced the successful AP Innovation fund projects to improve outcomes for young people leaving AP at age 16.

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, a) what estimate he has made of the amount of unspent funds in employers’ accounts under the Apprenticeship Levy; for what reasons those funds remain unspent; and whether he has plans to extend the period of time within which levy-paying employers can use those funds.

Anne Milton: At the end of September, the total balance of employers’ Apprenticeship Service accounts was £2.7 billion, which includes government top-ups. This will change as payments are made in and out of apprenticeship service accounts. Some of these funds are already committed.The apprenticeships programme (and therefore the expenditure) is demand-led. Employers choose which apprenticeships they want to offer, how many apprentices they want to employ and when they want them to begin. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds in their accounts.Levy-paying employers have up to 24 months in which to spend the funds available to them. The 24 month expiry period is designed to give employers time to develop their apprenticeship programmes whilst encouraging employers to take action to create new apprenticeship opportunities. We currently have no plans to extend the expiry period.

Teaching Excellence Framework Independent Review: Public Appointments

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on appointing the Chair of the Independent Review into the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We have made excellent progress in appointing an independent reviewer of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework and I hope to make an announcement shortly.

Free School Meals: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many recipients of free school meals there have been in Liverpool in each of the last 10 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals is published at the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018.For 2018, the number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals by local authority can be found in Tables 8a to 8e, in the Schools pupils and their characteristics 2018 - LA tables of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2018’ statistical release. Information for earlier years (from 2008 onwards) can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.

GCE A-level

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of trends in A Level results in (a) Coventry South, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes pupil attainment data through a number of headline measures for each local authority and region of England; these figures can be compared to the national (England) average for all pupils. The headline measures for 16-18 study for each local authority and region in England for the academic years 2009/10 – 2017/18 are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years.[1] Due to A and AS Level reforms and changes to headline measures (including methodological changes), the available figures are only directly comparable between 2009/10 – 2014/15 and 2015/16 – 2017/18. The last five years’ figures for A Level results for England, the West Midlands region, and Coventry Local Authority are summarised in the tables attached. Constituency level information is not published for 16-18 performance measures. [1] For each year, select the ‘revised’ publication and then open the ‘Local authority tables’. For 2015/16 - 2016/17 the headline attainment measures are the average point score (APS) per entry and APS per entry expressed as a grade for each qualification type. These can be found in table ‘9a all’ (2017/18); table ‘9a all’ (2016/17); table 9a (2015/16); table 12c (2014/15); table 12a (2012/13 - 2013/14); table 9a (2011/12); table 10 (2010/11); table 9 (2009/10).  



180634_a_level_results_england_w_midlands_coventry
(PDF Document, 23.74 KB)

GCSE

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of trends in GCSE results in (a) Coventry South, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Teachers: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with headteachers in (a) Coventry South, (b) Coventry and (c) the West Midlands on schools the increase in funding of teachers' pay as set out in the 2018 School Teachers' Review Body report.

Nick Gibb: Officials from the Department have met with a number of stakeholder groups when developing the Teachers’ Pay Grant, including the National Association of Head Teachers, the Association of School and College Leaders and the Local Government Association.

Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if will publish a ranked list of the reasons for fixed-period exclusions of pupils in secondary schools in (a) the North East and (b) England in the last two years.

Nick Gibb: The National Statistics release ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England 2016 to 2017’ includes information on the reasons for exclusions. The full release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017.[1] [1] National and regional information on reasons for exclusions by academic year by school type is available in the underlying data section of the release, in the file “reason_for_exclusion_exc1617.csv”. The data can be filtered by the columns “year, “level”, “region_name” and “school_type”.

Teachers: Pensions

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 176323 on Teacher's Pensions, what proportion of the projected rise in employer contribution costs is due to the change to the Scape discount rate.

Nick Gibb: The Superannuation Contributions Adjusted for Past Experience (SCAPE) discount rate is only one of a number of factors that need to be taken into account when completing pension scheme valuations. Taken in isolation, the SCAPE rate change from CPI+2.8% to CPI+2.4% results in an increase of around 7 percentage points on the employer contribution rate. This is equivalent to the full projected rise in employer contribution costs across the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.The Department for Education intends to fund state-funded schools and further education providers, but will shortly be running a public consultation to seek views and understand better the impact of the proposed changes to inform action the Department will take.

University Academy Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the new provider for University Academy Warrington has (a) expertise in and (b) a track record of raising the attainment of working class pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: In selecting a preferred sponsor for University Academy Warrington, the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire will consider the trust’s track record of working with pupils who have similar characteristics to those at University Academy Warrington, alongside a range of other criteria, including the raising of attainment.

IGCSE

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of IGCSE entries were taken in (a) state-funded schools (b) independent schools in 2018.

Nick Gibb: The number and proportion of international GCSE entries in state-funded schools and independent schools in 2017/18 is provided below:Institution typeNumber of international GCSE entries% of all international GCSEsState-funded7,82423%Independent26,02476%Other (e.g. Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision)3371%All schools34,185 For pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2018, the number and proportion of entries in approved international GCSEs, which count in the departments’ school and college performance tables, is provided below:Institution typeNumber of international GCSE entries% of all international GCSEsState-funded5,78276%Independent1,84824%Other (e.g. Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision)210%All schools7,651

Engineering and Physics: Vocational Guidance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 177683 on Engineering and Physics: Vocational Guidance, for what reason his Department is not able on undertake a comparative assessment of an area of responsibility that is devolved in Wales and Scotland; and what steps the Government has taken to ensure that best practice is shared between the nations of the UK.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation to the hon Member for Kettering of 11 October 2018 on Student Loan Book: Sale, Official Report, column 286, if he will (a) publish the range of estimates for the expected proceeds of the sale and (b) place in the Library a copy of the information shared with the hon. Member for Kettering.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government and its advisers are continuing to refine the range of estimates for the expected proceeds of the sale.A report on the sale arrangements, and the extent to which they gave good value, will be placed in the House Libraries within three months of the date of the transfer arrangements.

Teachers: Pay

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the proportion of school teachers in England that are paid over £50,000 per annum.

Nick Gibb: The proportion of full and part-time teachers in state-funded schools in England with salaries of £50,000 or more in November 2017 is 13%.The figures provided are available from table 9a, from the publication ‘School Workforce in England, November 2017’. This is available at the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017.

Prime Minister

Members: Correspondence

Angela Rayner: To ask the Prime Minister, when she plans to respond to the letter of the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne of 21 March 2018 on the enforcement of the Ministerial Code.

Mrs Theresa May: My Office does not have a record of receiving a letter dated 21 March 2018 from the Hon. Member. An undated letter from the Hon Member was received by my Office on 8 March which mentioned Ministerial Code issues, to which a reply was sent by the (Acting) Cabinet Secretary.

Members: Correspondence

Deidre Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to her oral Answer of 12 September 2018, Official Report, column 749, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith in relation to Questions 136216 and 135115 tabled in April 2018 and March 2018 on the visit of Aggregate IQ founders to Downing Street.

Mrs Theresa May: The transparency data published on a quarterly basis relates to ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals. I have not met Aggregate IQ and there was therefore nothing to publish in the transparency data.

Department for International Trade

UK Trade with EU: Exports

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to support businesses that export to the EU in the event that that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade has carried out significant preparations for a ‘no deal’ scenario, and alongside other Departments has published technical notices to guide businesses on preparing for this eventuality. Our technical notices cover trade remedies, export control regulation, and trade agreement continuity, as well as a further technical notice on tariffs which we published jointly with HMRC and HMT. We are also preparing the Department to provide business-friendly answers to EU Exit enquiries on areas within our competence. Together with other Departments we are ensuring that businesses can access Government information on EU Exit online. Businesses, including current exporters to the EU, will benefit from the Department for International Trade’s strong offer regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations. This offer includes impartial export advice from International Trade Advisors, our overseas network with a presence in 108 countries, and access to digital services that sit on our great.gov.uk platform.

Department for International Trade: Contracts

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether gagging clauses have been used in contracts drawn up between his Department and any charities, voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises or companies with the intention of stopping any criticism of Ministers of his Department.

George Hollingbery: Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Overseas Trade

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the UK trading on WTO terms after the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal. That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved. But it is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, so we have already carried out very significant ‘no deal’ preparations for the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal and trade with the EU reverts to WTO terms. Consequently, no deal planning and trading on WTO terms forms a necessary part of the discussions across Whitehall between all members of Cabinet, including the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Trade Promotion

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 178257 on Trade Promotion, if he will publish the visits undertaken by each Trade Envoy in the last year.

Graham Stuart: The table below outlines all overseas visits undertaken by the PM’s Trade Envoys from October 2017 – September 2018. In total they have undertaken 61 overseas visits to 41 markets in the last year. Trade EnvoyMarket visitedDate Markets visited:  Adam Afriyie MPGhana Ghana, Guinea Ghana, Guinea8-11 November 2017 8-13 April 16-21 September 2018Andrew Murrison MPMorocco Tunisia7-10 February 2018 No visitAndrew Percy MPCanada4-9 November 2017 8-12 February 2108 27-11 June 2018Andrew Selous MPSouth Africa6-9 February 2018 27-30 August 2018Baroness Bonham-CarterMexico10-16 February 2018 23-30 September 2018Baroness MorrisKuwait5-8 December 2017Baroness NicholsonAzerbaijan, Kuwait(for Iraq conference) Turkmenistan12-16 February 2018 28 May-1 June 2018Baroness NorthoverAngola Zambia7-10 November 2017 19-21 September 2018 26-28 September 2018 8-16 February 2018Ed Vaizey MPVietnam Cambodia, Laos Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos5-11 November 2017 8-12 February 2018 29 September - 3 October 2018Jeremy Lefroy MPEthiopia8-11 November 2017 11-16 February 2018 28-31 May 2018 3-5 September 2018John Howell MPNigeria6-9 November 2017Julian Knight MPMongolia5-10 April 2018 19-24 September 2018Lord AstorOman2-6 October 2017 11-14 February 2018Lord FaulknerTaiwan24-31 January 2018 17-22 September 2018Lord HollickTanzania1-4 October 2017Lord JanvrinTurkey2-5 October 2017 12-14 February 2018Lord KingSaudi Arabia23-25 September 2017Lord LamontIran23-28 September 2018Lord PopatUganda Rwanda16-24 November 2017 13-16 February 2018Lord RisbyAlgeria6-9 November 2017 29-1 May 2018Mark Menzies MPColumbia, Chile Columbia, Chile Peru4-10 November 2017 31 March-11 April 2018 23-28 September 2018Mark Pritchard MPGeorgia, Armenia6-9 October 2017 1-10 November 2017 7-21 February 2018 6-11 June 2018Paul Scully MPThailand5-11 November 2017Ranil Jayawardena MPSri Lanka14-17 February 2018 17-21 September 2018Rehman Chishti MPPakistan8-11 November 2017 11-15 February 2018 14-18 September 2018Richard Graham MPMalaysia Indonesia3-5 November 2017 31 July – 3 August 2018 11-13 April 2018Rushanara Ali MPBangladesh20-31 July 2018Simon Hart MPPanama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic10-13 April 2018Sir Jeffrey DonaldsonEgypt28 July – 1 August 2018 22-27 September 2018

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential units were granted planning permission in each financial year since 2006-7.

James Brokenshire: The Department sources information on the number of residential units granted permission in the last 12 months from Glenigan. The latest snapshot of the planning system is routinely published in the department’s quarterly ‘Planning Applications in England’ publication, the latest of which, with notes relevant to the below data (found on page 30), can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741789/Planning_Applications_April_to_June_2018_-_statistical_release.pdfFigure 6 on page 11 shows a chart of the quarterly year to date time series from Quarter 1, 2007 to Quarter 2, 2018. Please see the table below for the underlying figures requested for each financial year from 2006/07 to 2017/18. Number of residential units granted planning permission in the previous 12 months by financial year. Financial yearResidential units granted permission (rounded to the nearest 100)2006/07249,8002007/08256,9002008/09183,0002009/10176,9002010/11173,9002011/12192,4002012/13198,8002013/14240,0002014/15261,9002015/16264,7002016/17313,7002017/18365,700Source: Glenigan

Housing: Safety

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of high-risk residential buildings.

James Brokenshire: The Final Report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which was published in May 2018, identifies all multi-occupancy high-rise residential properties which are 10 stories high or more as being ‘higher-risk residential buildings’. It states that there are between 2,000 and 3,000 of these buildings currently in existence. This is calculated according to information provided by Land Registry and Ordnance Survey. An explanation of the data sources can be found in Appendix C of the Review:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-building-regulations-and-fire-safety-final-report

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households affected by the Grenfell Tower fire require rehousing; and how many of those households are in (a) emergency, (b) temporary and (c) permanent accommodation.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households in (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Testerton Walk, (c) Hurstway Walk, (d) Treadgold House and (e) Bramley House require rehousing as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those households have been rehoused in (i) emergency accommodation, (ii) temporary accommodation and (iii) permanent accommodation.

James Brokenshire: Further to the update provided in July 2018, as of 11 October 2018, the latest data from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) shows that 204 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk require rehousing. Of this number, 39 households are in emergency accommodation (22 households are in hotels, 14 in serviced apartments and 3 with friends and family). 35 households are currently living in temporary accommodation, and 130 households have moved into a permanent home.Council tenants from Barandon Walk, Testerton Walk, Hurstway Walk, Treadgold House and Bramley House who do not feel able to remain in their homes, are eligible to be rehoused under RBKC’s Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy. As of 11 October, 5 of these households are in emergency accommodation (3 are in hotels, 2 are in serviced apartments) and 72 households are currently living in temporary accommodation, while they await permanent rehousing. 2 households have moved to new permanent accommodation. In order to prevent individual households being made identifiable, I am unable to provide a breakdown of the location of these households based on which part of the Estate they originally lived in.

Change of Use

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of homes that were converted into residential dwellings under permitted development.

James Brokenshire: National permitted development rights play an important role in the planning system, providing flexibility, reducing bureaucracy and making the most effective use of existing buildings. Permitted development rights for change of use are making an important contribution to the delivery of new homes across the country. All homes, whether granted permission on a planning application or through a permitted development right, are required to meet Building Regulations, including fire safety.A local authority building control body is required to hold a record of any compliance certificate issued in relation to Building Regulations. Where there are outstanding non-compliance issues in relation to building regulations it is for the local authority to consider enforcement.

Social Rented Housing: Regulation

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 94 of the Social Housing Green Paper and paragraph 19 of the Review of Social Housing Regulation call for evidence, whether the proposals for changes to the threshold of the serious detriment test used in the consumer home standard would require the introduction of new legislation.

Kit Malthouse: Under section 198A(2) of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, the Regulator may only intervene in the breach of consumer standards if there is or may be a “serious detriment” to existing or potential tenants. The Regulator of Social Housing has published guidance on how it assesses compliance the regulatory standards, which may be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/698332/Regulating_the_Standards_April_2018.pdf.As part of the review of social housing regulation we will consider whether serious detriment remains the right threshold for intervention, and any change to this threshold will require amendment to primary legislation.

Supported Housing: Learning Disability

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of people with complex and severe learning difficulties who are living in supported living accommodation.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Independent research commissioned by my department and the Department for Work and Pensions estimated that at the end of 2015 there were around 47,000 supported housing units across Great Britain for people with learning disabilities. The research was published in 2016 and can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/572454/rr927-supported-accommodation-review.pdf

Supported Housing: Learning Disability

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the suitability of supported living accommodation for people with complex and severe learning difficulties.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We have made no recent assessment but we are committed to the vital role that supported housing plays in the lives of many vulnerable people. As announced on 9 August, my department and the Department for Work and Pensions are working closely with supported housing stakeholders to develop additional oversight of the quality and value for money of housing across the whole supported housing sector. This will include accommodation for people with complex and severe learning difficulties.More widely, the Department for Health and Social Care invested £25 million over 2016-18 in 52 separate projects, in housing and technology to support people with a learning disability to live as independently as possible with the right care and support.

Local Plans

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the (a) duties and (b) responsibilities are for a Government Local Plan Inspector.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances a Government Local Plan Inspector is able to recommend the alteration of a Local Plan; and whether an inspector is able to recommend such an alteration when it will have an effect on the level of housing allocation in a locality.

Kit Malthouse: The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 sets out that Inspectors are appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out an independent examination to assess whether a local plan is sound. The National Planning Policy Framework tests of soundness require the plan to be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. If the plan does not meet those tests, the Local Planning Authority can request that the Inspector recommends main modifications to make the plan sound. These could cover any matter within the scope of the tests of soundness, which could include the level of housing allocation within the locality. All proposed main modifications are subject to public consultation

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Objectively Assessed Need criteria includes population growth as a result of immigration.

Kit Malthouse: The National Planning Policy Framework expects councils to identify their objectively assessed need for housing and other uses. The new Framework, published in July, expects a standard method to be used for assessing housing need, which is based on national projections of population and household growth. The population projections take into account anticipated changes in net migration based on past trends.

Local Government Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the amount of funding per head of population his Department has allocated to each local authority in ranked order for each year since 2010.

Rishi Sunak: Core Spending Power is a measure of the resources available to a local authority to fund its services. It includes Settlement Funding Assessment (business rates baseline funding level plus Revenue Support Grant), Council Tax and other central government grants. There is no consistent measure of Core Spending Power prior to 2015-16. Figures for the period 2015-16 to 2019-20 are available at the below link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679611/Core_Spending_Power_Supporting_Information.xlsx.The Department does not publish Core Spending Power per capita. The Office for National Statistics has published population statistics which can be found at the below link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland.

Affordable Housing: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were built in Liverpool in each of the last 10 years.

Kit Malthouse: The number of additional affordable homes provided in Liverpool is published in live table 1008C https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

Homelessness: Mental Health

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the effect of long-term homelessness on mental health.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on matters of mutual departmental interest, including through the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce.We recognise that poor mental health can both contribute to, and be exacerbated by, homelessness and rough sleeping. Having stable and appropriate housing is invaluable for people living with a long-term mental health problem. We also know that rough sleeping can exacerbate existing, underlying mental health conditions and can result in a mental health crisis.In 2018/19 the Department for Health and Social Care will provide up to £2 million in health funding to test models of community-based provision designed to enable access to health and support services for people who are sleeping rough. This will include services to support people with both mental ill health and substance misuse issues. We are undertaking a rapid audit of provision targeted at people who sleep rough that can be used to inform future commissioning decisions. The Department for Health and Social Care has asked NHS England to spend up to £30 million on health services for people who sleep rough, over the next five years.

Council Tax: Dorset

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average amount of council tax is across the area of (a) the Shadow Dorset Unitary Authority and (b) the Christchurch, Poole and Bournemouth Shadow Authority for the purpose of his Department's approach to council tax harmonisation.

Rishi Sunak: I wrote on 17 October to the leaders of the shadow Dorset Council and the shadow Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council setting out the approach to council tax harmonisation we are minded to adopt.It will be for each of the councils to calculate any average council tax across its area needed for the purposes of any approach to council tax harmonisation that we adopt, in accordance with the secondary legislation that makes provision for that approach.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the new out of service dates are for (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The out of service dates for HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark remain 2033 and 2034 respectively.

Army: Cadets

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Cadets there were in each year between 2007 and 2017.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence publishes official statistics on Cadet strengths. The number of Army Cadets as at 1 April each year between 2007 and 2017 can be found in the publications below.2007-2016 (Excel Spreadsheet - Table 1, Row 27)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-20162017 (Excel Spreadsheet - Table 1, Cell M34)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2018

Navy: Cadets

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Sea Cadets there were in each year between 2007 and 2017.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence publishes official statistics on Cadet strengths. The number of Sea Cadets as at 1 April each year between 2007 and 2017 can be found in the publications below.2007-2016https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-20162017https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-sponsored-cadet-forces-statistics-2018

Autonomous Weapons

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the merits of the possible guiding principles set out in the final report of the 2018 Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons.

Stuart Andrew: Her Majesty's Government welcomes the Chair's summary of possible guiding principles in the field of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). These principles mark a move towards international consensus on the key considerations in the LAWS debate, and will provide a useful basis for further discussions as the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) continues its work next year.

Royal Military Academy: Foreign Nationals

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many foreign nationals received training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each year between 2005 and 2017.

Mark Lancaster: The table below shows the number of International Cadets who attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each financial year (FY) between 2005 and 2017. This includes attendees on the Regular Commissioning Course, Commissioning Course Short (Reserves) and the International Trainer Development Course. FY2005-062006-072007-082008-092009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Int. Cdts7060707070706070707011090110 Notes:These figures are single service estimates and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics. Commissioning Course Short data prior to Financial Year 2006-07 is not available. Figures have been rounded to 10 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality; numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. “-” denotes zero or rounded to zero.

Ministry of Defence: Written Questions

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish an substantive Answer to Questions 142890 and 142899, on Clyde Naval Base: Submarines, tabled on 10 May 2018 by the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith.

Stuart Andrew: The work to retrieve and assess the data to provide a substantive answer to the hon. Member's questions is still ongoing. Once the process is complete I will provide a response, placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Arms Trade: Exports

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 176572 on Arms trade: exports, what estimate he has made of the number of UK jobs that depend (a) directly and (b) indirectly on arms exports.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information.

Treasury: Public Expenditure

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future funding of his Department.

Gavin Williamson: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor.This Government is committed to spending at least 2% of GDP on defence and the Ministry of Defence’s budget will rise at least 0.5% above inflation every year of this Parliament, taking it to almost £40 billion by 2021.

Warships: Procurement

John Spellar: What priority his Department accords to the preservation of UK shipbuilding capacity when awarding contracts to build the fleet solid support ships.

Stuart Andrew: The Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy was clear that for reasons of national security warships must be built in the UK.Fleet solid support ships do not fall under the National Shipbuilding Strategy definition of a warship. All non-Warships are procured through international competition to secure best value for money.We have encouraged UK shipyards to participate in the competition and have been pleased with the positive engagement so far.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Sir David Evennett: What steps he is taking to improve mental health support for members of the armed forces and veterans.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence works with a range of partners to ensure that serving personnel and veterans receive the mental health support they need. Last year we published a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy setting out measures to further improve the mental health of the Armed Forces. Earlier this year we commissioned a new 24/7 Mental Health Helpline for serving personnel and their families from Combat Stress, linking into its existing service for veterans.

Defence: Scotland

Ged Killen: What estimate he has made of the change in real terms defence spending in Scotland since 2010.

Stuart Andrew: Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure with Scottish industry has increased in real terms from £1.372 billion in 2013-14 to £1.592 billion in 2016-17. The number of jobs supported by MOD expenditure with industry in Scotland currently stands at 10,500, and this has increased every year since 2013.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the amount given in budgetary advances to claimants awaiting their first universal credit payment is calculated.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how exceptional circumstances is defined when determining whether a universal credit claimant in receipt of a budgetary advance is eligible for the three month discretionary period after the first universal credit payment before repayments of the advance begin.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) legacy benefits, (b) personal independence payments and (c) universal credit in the Garston and Halewood constituency have been given a budgetary advance to cover a delay in payment of their benefit in the last 12 months.

Alok Sharma: The purpose of a Budgeting Advance is to help pay for emergency household costs, or for help getting a job or staying in work. It is not an advance of benefit; therefore no Budgeting Advances have been paid in the last 12 months to cover delays in the payment of benefits. A Budgeting Advance is available to claimants where they have been in receipt of Universal Credit, or a combination of a legacy benefit and Universal Credit, for at least 6 months or for a lesser period of time if it relates to either them, or their partner, obtaining or retaining employment. The calculation of the amount of a Budgeting Advance available to a claimant will vary depending upon whether they are single, part of a couple and/or responsible for a child or qualifying young person. It will also be reduced pound for pound by any savings they may have over £1000 and eligibility can be affected depending upon the amount of earnings received in the previous six month period. A Budgeting Advance is repayable over 12 months, which can be extended by up to 6 months in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances would be an unforeseen expense that occurs after an advance is agreed, and continued recovery for the initial agreed repayment period would cause the claimant and their household genuine hardship.

Universal Credit: Housing

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to extend direct to landlord payments to all claimants of the housing element of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit incentivises work by making the journey from unemployment to employment as smooth as possible, without the hurdles that exist within the current system. Paying claimants their housing costs direct means their landlord sees no changes in rent payments when they move into work. Consequently the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will, in the majority of cases, pay eligible housing costs directly to the claimant as has been the case for Housing Benefit in the Private Rented Sector since 2008. Nonetheless, both the claimant and landlord are able to request an alternative payment arrangement (APA) to have rent paid direct to the landlord at any point in the claim should the need arise.

Social Security Benefits: Immigrants

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of benefits claims made by migrants with the right to work in the UK but not in possession of a Biometric Residence Permit in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Alok Sharma: DWP procedures require non-UK nationals to provide proof of their UK immigration status upon application for an income related benefit. This may be in the form of a Home Office Biometric Residence Permit or a valid passport or visa stamped by the Home Office granting leave to remain and recourse to public funds. Claimants who provide proof of UK immigration status with recourse to claim public funds are eligible to claim DWP income-related benefits on the same basis as UK citizens. Biometric Residency Permits were introduced by the Home Office in December 2012. As of 31 May 2015 new regulations require non-EEA nationals, seeking permission from overseas to enter the UK for more than six months to apply for a Biometric Residence Permit from the Home Office. The Department does not centrally collect statistical information categorised by the type of immigration status document provided and the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Preston

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of delays in the payment of universal credit benefits on (a) food bank use and (b) child poverty levels in Preston.

Alok Sharma: Under the legacy system £2.4 billion of benefits did not get paid at all because claimants could not navigate the complexity of the system. Universal Credit puts this right, ensuring this money goes to 700,000 claimants who need it. There are many and varied reasons why people use food banks and it is misleading to link this to any single cause. People on Universal Credit move into work faster and stay in work longer. Work offers families the best opportunity to move out of poverty and Universal Credit strengthens incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. There are 300,000 fewer children in absolute poverty compared with 2010 – a record low.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money from the public purse has been paid to private firms to carry out health assessments for her Department in each year for which information is available.

Sarah Newton: 2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Total Expenditure (£m) 112.8  112.4  114.3  80.7  280.4  367.8  443.8  449.3   These figures cover the direct cost of delivering work capability assessments, the medical assessments undertaken for other benefits, costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvement expenditure incurred by the Department.

Social Security Benefits: Forms

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance job centres provide to claimants who struggle to complete benefits applications forms; and what procedures are followed by jobcentres when a claimant requests assistance with filling in forms or expresses that they have difficulty in doing so.

Alok Sharma: Where our customers advise us that they need assistance to access our services and information, we make reasonable adjustments to meet their individual needs. This means the Department communicates with customers in a variety of different formats such as Braille, audio, large print, through third party interpreters or by arranging for a member of staff to visit the customer in their home.Service delivery teams within jobcentres provide a professional and supportive environment for our customers, providing digital coaching, helping claimants set up their Universal Credit claims and also maintaining them.Claimants who require additional support to complete a claim form have the option to book a one to one appointment with a member of the Service Delivery team to receive assistance. In addition telephony support is in place for those vulnerable claimants who cannot ‘self-serve’ online and where a claimant is unable to manage their own affairs, an appointee can act on their behalf, taking responsibility for making and maintaining any benefit claim.

Maternity Allowance: Universal Credit

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in receipt of maternity allowance have applied for universal credit that have worked for less than 26 weeks continuous weeks.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling working women in receipt of maternity allowance who have not met the qualifying period for Statutory Maternity Pay to claim full universal credit payments.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit is a means tested system of support. Where claimants already receive Maternity Allowance to meet their living costs it is right that their Universal Credit award is adjusted to take account of the support that they are already receiving (as currently is the case with other DWP legacy means tested working age benefits). Information about the number of women in receipt of maternity allowance who have applied for universal credit that have worked for less than 26 weeks continuous weeks is not available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate request.

Universal Credit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent equalities impact assessment her Department has conducted on its plans for the managed migration to universal credit.

Alok Sharma: In line with Ministers’ legal duties, equality impacts have been considered in developing our plans for managed migration to universal credit. We will continue to consider these impacts as our plans for managed migration develop.

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July to Question 167889 on Disability Living Allowance: Appeals, what estimate she has made of the length of time it will take for claimants of disability living allowance to receive backdated payments as a result of decisions made by her Department being overturned on appeal.

Sarah Newton: Information about the length of time it takes for claimants of Disability Living Allowance to receive backdated payments as a result of decisions made by DWP being overturned on appeal is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Hearing Impairment

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a primary disability of deafness or hearing impairment aged 16 to 25 applied for personal independence payments in the latest year for which figures are available.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a primary disability of deafness or hearing impairment aged between 16 to 25 applied for personal independence payment in the last 12 months.

Sarah Newton: Holding answer received on 17 October 2018



In the application process, claimants’ main disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment. It is not recorded at the point of application. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of applicants to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with a primary disability of deafness or hearing impairment.

Personal Independence Payment: Hearing Impairment

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the outcome was of all applications that deaf people aged 16 to 25 made for personal independence payment; how many of those people (a) requested a mandatory reconsideration or (b) appealed to the social security tribunal; and what the outcome was of those (i) reconsiderations and (ii) appeals in the last year for which figures are available.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications her Department has received from deaf people aged 16 to 25 for personal independence payments in the last 12 months; and (a) what the outcome of each claim was and (b) how many of those applicants have requested a mandatory reconsideration or appealed to the social security tribunal.

Sarah Newton: Holding answer received on 17 October 2018



In the application process, claimants’ main disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment. It is not recorded at the point of application. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of all applicants or outcome of all applications to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people with a primary disability of deafness or hearing impairment. For those who have undergone a PIP assessment, information on the number of initial decisions in 2017/18, and mandatory reconsiderations and appeals, for people aged 16 to 25 with a main disabling condition of a hearing disorder are shown in the table below. Initial decisions, mandatory reconsiderations and appeals  NumberInitial Decisions Total1,450Awarded620Disallowed830Withdrawn#  Mandatory Reconsiderations Registrations410  Clearances400New Decision - Award Changed60New Decision - Award Unchanged340Decision Not Revised0Withdrawn/ Cancelled#  Appeals Receipts160  Clearances60Decision overturned40Decision maintained20  Data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.'#' fewer than 5 decisions in this category.The data relates to initial PIP decisions in 2017/18 and any MRs and appeals relating to those initial decisions recorded up to June 2018 (the latest published data on appeals). Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to appeal.PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims.Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer system. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.Appeals data is taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeals data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Some decisions which are changed at mandatory reconsideration, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at mandatory reconsideration and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal).

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has a fast track process to ensure that a claimant who has submitted a DS1500 receives the first Universal Credit payment within seven days; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 16 October 2018



The Department and the Universal Credit Programme have regular meetings with key stakeholders to understand how our policies are working and discuss potential areas for improvement. The design of Universal Credit for terminally ill claimants is based on the well tested processes that have been in place in Employment and Support Allowance, as have the documentation of illness requirements. We will continue to keep these under review to ensure that they work as effectively as possible. If the claimant does not have a DS1500 but is deemed as terminally ill then we will fast track the Work Capability Assessment process so that the report is provided within 48 hours. If a claimant has been diagnosed as terminally ill with a prognosis of 6 months or less and been provided with a DS1500 or one has already been provided, Universal Credit will automatically award the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity element without the requirement to refer this for a Work Capability Assessment decision. All claimants are able to apply for an advance of their Universal Credit to ensure they do not face financial hardship whilst they are awaiting the assessment of their Universal Credit award.

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who have submitted a DS1500 form have waited (i) two weeks; (ii) three weeks; (iii) four weeks; (iv) five weeks or more to receive their first Universal Credit payment in the most recent twelve month period for which data are available.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 16 October 2018



The information requested is not readily available, as it is not collated centrally, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Disability

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase the number of employers that sign up to the disability confident scheme.

Sarah Newton: Staff in the DWP Disability Confident team are working constantly to engage with employers, run events and support the scheme. We have recently been working with Jobcentre Plus districts in Devon & Cornwall and South Yorkshire to identify new opportunities to engage with employers. The learning from this is currently being shared across Jobcentre Plus and should lead to a significant increase in employer sign-ups. Over 8,300 organisations are currently signed up to Disability Confident and this number continues to grow substantially. The Disability Confident Business Leaders Group (BLG), comprising senior leaders from significant British businesses across all sectors, helps to increase engagement with employers and encourage and support them on their Disability Confident journeys. The group promotes the business benefits of disability employment and works with DWP officials to identify any changes or developments that will improve the effectiveness of the scheme. In the public sector, with all main Government departments now signed up as Disability Confident Leaders we are turning focus on Local Authorities, Police, Fire Authorities and NHS Trusts. 75% of Local Authorities are already Disability Confident.

Employment: Disability

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget her Department allocated to the disability confident scheme in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah Newton: The DC scheme is delivered internally by DWP, using DWP staff and other internal resources. There is no external resources budget set for it.

Universal Credit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the number of instances where universal credit claimants have not received universal credit payments due to being paid every four weeks rather than per calendar month.

Alok Sharma: The amount of Universal Credit paid reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer during that assessment period, regardless of when they were paid. Monthly assessment is aligned to the way the majority of employees are paid and also allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month. This means that if a claimant’s income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit. Some claimants are paid in differing patterns, including four-weekly, fortnightly, weekly or on a variable day every month, which may mean that for some months these claimants receive two or more sets of earnings during one Universal Credit assessment period (AP). This may reduce, or in some cases completely reduce the Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. We have produced guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware of the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles: this is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles.

Universal Credit: Liverpool Riverside

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposed roll-out of universal credit in Liverpool Riverside constituency on the household finances of claimants of benefits in that constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: When fully rolled out, Universal Credit will support low income families with around £60 billion a year across the whole of Great Britain. In addition, Universal Credit covers up to 85% of childcare costs, up from 70% in the old system. The Department has made no assessment in Liverpool Riverside specifically. However we continue to evaluate progress as we roll out Universal Credit nationally in a careful and co-ordinated way, reviewing against key measures, to ensure safe and secure delivery. We know that work is the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives to move into and progress in work. The impact of Universal Credit cannot be considered in isolation– it is a key component of a broader strategy to move Britain to a higher wage, lower welfare, lower tax society.

Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people with multiple sclerosis in the Stroud constituency are no longer eligible for the higher rate of mobility support as a result of the transition from disability living allowance in each year since the introduction of personal independence payment.

Sarah Newton: Due to small, disclosive sample size issues, the information requested for people with multiple sclerosis in the Stroud constituency, who are no longer eligible for the higher rate of mobility support following a Disability Living Allowance reassessment to Personal Independence Payment, is not available.

Paternity Pay: Self-employed

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to introduce a paternity allowance for self-employed fathers.

Justin Tomlinson: My Department have no plans to introduce paternity allowance for self-employed fathers. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA) are paid to women to replace earnings to help them take time off work before and after their baby is born, in the interests of their health and wellbeing. Statutory family related leave entitlements focus on employees as they have less flexibility and autonomy over the work they do and when they take time off work. The Government agrees with the principle of equalising parental benefits for the employed and self-employed. But as set out in the Government Response to the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, it is right to only consider making changes to this area once we have carefully considered this in the wider context of tax, benefits and rights over the longer term.

National Insurance Contributions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to encourage people to check their national insurance contribution records in advance of their retirement.

Guy Opperman: Checking your National Insurance record regularly is very important and the Government has designed services and supporting communications to make this as easy for people as possible. Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions. The Department has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension and the role of people’s National Insurance records to people’s attention. This has been through advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk. Between April 2000 and the end of April 2018, the Department provided more than 22 million personalised State Pension statements to people who requested them (either online or by telephone or post, and based on both old and new State Pension rules). We continue to encourage people to request a personalised State Pension Statement as part of our on-going communications.

Universal Credit

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date universal credit is planned to be fully rolled out and operational.

Alok Sharma: The national rollout of the Universal Credit Full Service will be completed on 12 December 2018 for new claims. The current roll out schedule can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-transition-to-full-service

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment assessment results have been overturned on appeal.

Sarah Newton: Since Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was introduced 3.5m decisions have been made up to June 2018, of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.

Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis who were previously in receipt of disability living allowance and have undergone a reassessment for personal independence payment applied for mandatory reconsideration of the decision in each year since 2013.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis who were in receipt of disability living allowance and have undergone a reassessment for personal independence payments appealed the decision at tribunal and (a) had their decision overturned and (b) had their mobility award increased from none or standard rate to the higher rate.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new personal independence payment claimants with multiple sclerosis did not receive an award during their initial personal independence payment assessment and subsequently received an award at (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) tribunal for each year since 2013.

Sarah Newton: Table 1 below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment decisions, mandatory reconsideration (MR) registrations, appeals cleared and decisions overturned at appeal for people with a primary disabling condition of multiple sclerosis. Table 1: Number of PIP reassessment decisions, mandatory reconsideration (MR) registrations, appeals cleared and decisions overturned at appeal for people with a primary disabling condition of multiple sclerosis by year of initial decision  Number of decisionsNumber of MRs registeredNumber of appeals clearedNumber of decisions overturned at appeal20130000201448090202020151,95047022018020169,8401,960780640201710,5401,9906605602018 (January to June)3,9805801010  Table 2 below shows the number of PIP new claims for people with a primary disabling condition of multiple sclerosis who did not receive an award at the initial decision post assessment and where the decision was changed at MR or appeal. Table 2: Number of PIP new claims decisions for people who did not receive an award at the initial decision post assessment where the award was changed at mandatory reconsideration (MR) and where decisions were overturned at appeal for people with a primary disabling condition of multiple sclerosis by year of initial decision Number of decisionsNumber of decisions where the award was changed at MRNumber of appeals clearedNumber of decisions overturned at appeal2013701010102014850601007020151,5509021015020161,2906021014020171,350601601102018 (January to June)81020##  Since PIP was introduced 3.5m decisions have been made until June 2018, of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned. Data on the number of people who had the mobility award increased from none or standard rate to the enhanced rate is available from internal analytical datasets, but to assess the completeness of recording and quality assure the figures to answer this PQ would incur disproportionate cost.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.'#' fewer than 5 decisions in this category.The data relates to MRs and appeals recorded up to June 2018 (the latest published data on appeals). Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to appeal.PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims.Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer system. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.Appeals data shown in the tables is taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeals data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Some decisions which are changed at mandatory reconsideration, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at mandatory reconsideration and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal).

Poverty

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the new measure of poverty recommended by the Social Metrics Commission: a new measure of poverty, published in September 2018; and if she plans to adopt that new measure.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on reducing the number of households living in poverty of the Social Metrics Commissions report, A new measure of poverty in the UK, published in September 2018.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Social Metrics Commission’s new measure of poverty, if will she undertake an assessment of the effect of all government policies on poverty in the UK.

Justin Tomlinson: We welcome the work that the Social Metrics Commission has done. Measuring poverty is complex, and this report offers further insight into that complexity and the additional measures that can be taken into consideration. From discussions with SMC they acknowledge that further work needs to be done (particularly around data availability and quality). We will carefully consider their recommendations and the detail behind the methodology they have employed when this has been made available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Interserve

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on staffing levels at each tier of employment in her Department of the appointment of Interserve as the contractor for facilities management.

Justin Tomlinson: Interserve does not provide any services which are provided, or were previously provided, by DWP staff. It is unlikely, therefore, that DWP staffing levels would be affected.

Department for Work and Pensions: Interserve

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the quality of services delivered by Interserve since it was contracted to provide facilities management services to his Department.

Justin Tomlinson: Since contract commencement DWP has assessed the quality of services as per the terms of the agreed contract delivered by Interserve and this is via a performance management system which measures service delivery against agreed contractual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This performance management is monitored on a monthly basis by DWP Integrator (Sodexo).

Universal Credit: Mental Illness

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people with mental health needs that will be unable to move to universal credit because they do not understand the communication about that transition in (a) the North East and (b) the UK.

Alok Sharma: We do not underestimate the challenge that managed migration represents, we are co-designing the process with stakeholders, making sure it works for everyone and building in safeguards to ensure that vulnerable claimants are fully supported. We are not migrating everyone at once. Migration will begin with begin with small-scale testing (with up to 10,000 people being migrated in 2019) to ensure that the process works well, before the volume of migration increases. The Managed Migration regulations, will come before Parliament in the autumn, provide the flexibility and fail-safes to protect vulnerable claimants. We are designing a process to ensure a smooth transition with continuous support.

Universal Credit: Nottingham

Mr Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for the roll-out of universal credit in Nottingham; which categories of claimants will be included in each phase of that roll-out; and what deadline is planned for the completion of that roll-out.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit was recently rolled out to jobcentres in Nottingham on Wednesday 17 October, and in December, Universal Credit will be live in every Jobcentre in the country. The Managed Migration regulations will come before Parliament in the autumn, and during 2019 we will test and refine our processes on a small scale to ensure they are working well before we take on larger volumes from 2020 onwards, and complete the process in 2023.

Universal Credit

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's target time is for processing applications for alternative payment arrangements under universal credit.

Alok Sharma: DWP have no targets for processing applications for Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA). All APA cases are dealt with urgently and are considered on a case by case basis by dedicated teams.

Employment and Support Allowance: Arrears

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the announcement, ESA Underpayments: Forecast Numbers Affected, Forecast Expenditure and Progress on Checking, published by her Department on 17 October 2018, what the reasons are for the delay in the estimated completion date of arrears payments to claimants of Employment and Support Allowance.

Sarah Newton: As previously announced, those cases identified as part of the initial activity, will be completed by April 2019. The only exception to this is deceased customer cases where the time it takes to identify next of kin means it may take until the end of the year. The decision in July to review cases back to the point of their conversion to ESA means more claimants will receive payments but requires us to review an additional 250,000 cases. We are now able to confirm that these additional cases will be completed throughout the course of 2019.

Employment and Support Allowance: Maladministration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the factors that contributed to her Department's errors in calculating employment support allowance payments; and what procedures are being put into place to minimise the risk of further such errors.

Sarah Newton: The Department has strengthened its governance arrangements for the identification and management of actual or potential errors, so the impact on individuals can be understood and an appropriate response put in place. The National Audit Office conducted an investigation into the underpayment errors in transferring people to Employment and Support Allowance from other benefits and the Public Accounts Committee published their recommendations on 18 July 2018. The Department’s response to this investigation was published on 9 October 2018 and is available here: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/treasury-minutes-october-2018).

Television: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in receipt of free TV licences in each parliamentary constituency in Wales.

Guy Opperman: Holding answer received on 22 October 2018



The department does not hold data on the number of households in receipt of a free television license broken down by Parliamentary constituency. The number of households in receipt of winter fuel payment (aged 75 and over) by Parliamentary constituency can be used as a proxy for television license (assuming those in receipt of winter fuel payment have a television) and can be found in the dataset ‘Households by Parliamentary constituency and age, Winter Fuel Payment, 2017 to 2018’ via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/winter-fuel-payment-recipient-and-household-figures-2017-to-2018

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Abandoned Vehicles

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities are responsible for removing abandoned cars from private land.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Local authorities’ duties in respect of abandoned vehicles stem from the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act 2005. The Government’s guidance on abandoned vehicles is published here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities Where it appears to a local authority that a vehicle in its area is abandoned, it will be its duty to remove the vehicle. This duty applies to all land in the open air or any land forming part of a highway. However, in respect of such vehicles that are not on the carriageway, this duty does not apply where the costs of removing them to the nearest convenient carriageway is unreasonably high. It is up to councils to decide how best to meet their statutory duties in respect of abandoned vehicles, and how to prioritise this against other local services.

Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the single use carrier bag charge; and whether he has plans to expand the scheme to other single use items.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The single use carrier bag charge introduced in 2015 has seen plastic bag sales in major supermarkets drop by 86%. This is equivalent to 19 bags per person in 2016/17 in England, compared with 140 bags each before the government introduced the charge. It has taken 13 billion plastic bags out of circulation in the last two years and last year alone generated over £51.6 million for charities and other good causes. The HMT call for evidence on tackling single use plastic waste through the use of fiscal measures or new charges closed in May. A summary of responses was published in August ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget on 29 October.

Greyhound Board of Great Britain

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department has made an assessment of adequacy of the injury and retirement data published by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

David Rutley: The format of the injury and retirement data published by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) for the first time in March this year was requested and approved by Defra. Alongside publication of the data, which has been independently verified, the GBGB also made several commitments to improve the figures, which the Government has welcomed. Defra will continue to monitor the data, and the progress of GBGB’s commitments.

Primates: Pets

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning (a) the keeping of primates as pets and (b) the sale of primates as pets.

David Rutley: Keepers of animals including primates must provide for the welfare needs of their animals as required by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. To assist in this regard, there is the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates. Anyone keeping a primate as a pet in a domestic setting, or otherwise causing unnecessary suffering, would be in breach of the 2006 Act and liable to a penalty of six months’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both. The Government has announced that the maximum custodial penalty for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal will rise from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment.As of 1 October new laws were introduced regulating the sale of pets. The new laws provide strict minimum welfare standards for any business selling pets. In addition, Defra has worked with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group on the development of voluntary minimum standards for the online advertising of pets, which now include a prohibition on the sale of primates on five of the main online advertising sites.

Fracking

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on the local environment of fracking.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency (EA) has carried out an assessment of the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and the measures that are needed to ensure that the local environment is protected. Based on this, the EA has developed and published detailed guidance setting out the conditions that fracking operations must meet. Businesses proposing to explore for oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing require environmental permits from the EA, which are subject to a detailed site specific assessment. The permits set legally binding conditions on the activities and how they are carried out to protect the local environment. They include requirements to monitor groundwater, surface water and air quality before, during and after operations.

Pet Travel Scheme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report Puppy Smuggling: When will this cruel trade end?, published by the Dogs Trust, what steps his Department is taking to tackle abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme.

David Rutley: Defra takes the health and welfare of dogs coming into the UK very seriously. We share Dogs Trust’s concerns about illegal puppy trafficking, where commercial operators have abused European Union (EU) pet travel rules to traffic underage puppies into the UK, using falsified pet passports to conceal the animals’ true ages. Defra has zero tolerance for this abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme. Defra has published guidance for owners on buying a pet. This contains guidelines such as buying from a reputable supplier and viewing the animal and its documentation, and also highlights the trade in illegal imports. A wider public communications campaign is also being planned. We have increased resourcing at major UK ports. The UK carries out more checks at the border than most other EU Member States and penalties are in place where people are found to be breaking these rules. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is working in partnership with Dogs Trust, enforcement bodies and transport carriers to identify non-compliant animals destined for Dover and Folkestone ports. This partnership began in December 2015 and has since then resulted in over 800 puppies being seized and placed into quarantine. Defra has also launched an intelligence-led Task Force to work on this issue. We are working with a wide range of stakeholders (including Dogs Trust) to develop long term solutions to the illegal puppy trade. Defra considers it extremely important to raise the profile of this issue at an EU level. In 2017, an EU Platform on Animal Welfare was set up, and the UK is a member of this. It contains a specific, smaller subgroup on the dog trade. Defra considers this subgroup to be an important initiative and our Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer will speak at a conference on the Online Puppy Trade in Brussels in November, which is affiliated with this subgroup. Defra has in recent months held a consultation on a proposed ban on commercial third party puppy and kitten sales in England. This would mean that anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten must either deal directly with the breeder or with one of the nation’s many animal rehoming centres. It is hoped that this will drive up animal welfare standards and deter those motivated to traffic puppies into the UK and sell them on for financial gain. This consultation closed in September and is now being reviewed. We welcome the latest Dogs Trust report and will be reviewing the evidence it presents to consider what further action can be taken to end the illegal puppy trade.

Flood Control

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it mandatory for (a) utility companies and (b) the private sector to contribute financially to flood protection when their infrastructure is at risk.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Utility companies are responsible for the resilience of their supplies. The 2016 National Flood Resilience Review requires utility companies to develop plans for permanently improving resilience of service provision from the most severe flood events. In 2019, we will update the national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy, looking to strengthen joint delivery across organisations. We will look at current partnership arrangements ahead of a review of funding needs beyond 2021, seeking to attract more non-public sector investment, and make sure all relevant agencies are able to respond quickly and effectively to support communities if and when flooding does occur.

Flood Control

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the 2018 NAO report on the financial sustainability of local authorities published by the NAO in March 2018, what plans he has to (a) promote a sustainable means of funding flood defences and (b) mitigate the risk that flooding presents to communities and the economy.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The NAO report states that while local authority spending power has decreased, local Government spending on floods has increased by 29% in real terms since 2010. This Government is investing £2.6 billion capital to better protect the country from flooding. £2.6 billion is a real terms increase – up from £1.7 billion in the 2010-2015 Parliament, and £1.5 billion between 2005 and 2010. Local authorities have access to this funding for flood defence improvements on the same terms as the Environment Agency and internal drainage boards. Other funding for local authority needs, including for local flood management, is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Over this spending period, councils will be able to access more than £200 billion to spend on local services. The majority of this funding is non-ring-fenced as it is for local authorities, who are independent of central Government, to manage their budgets in line with locally determined priorities.

Home Office

Female Genital Mutilation: Arrests and Prosecutions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) arrested and (b) prosecuted for offences relating to female genital mutilation in the most recent period for which data is available.

Victoria Atkins: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. The Government is clear that we will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong suffering to women and girls.The Home Office does not collate information on arrests and prosecutions centrally. Information on FGM referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2010-18 is available in the CPS’s Violence Against Women and Girls Report. To date, there have been no convictions for FGM.The Serious Crime Act 2015 introduced a number of measures to help overcome the barriers to prosecution, including: a new mandatory reporting duty for known cases of FGM in under-18s; extended extra-territorial jurisdiction over FGM offences committed abroad; lifelong anonymity for victims; FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs), and a new offence of failure to protect a girl from the risk of FGM. To date, 248 FGMPOs have been made to protect victims and those at risk.In addition, the police and CPS have put in place joint FGM investigation and prosecution protocols. Border Force, the police and other agencies regularly carry out joint operations at the border to raise awareness of practices such as FGM. Earlier this month, the Home Office launched an FGM communications campaign which seeks to prevent FGM by changing attitudes among affected communities. The campaign also highlights that FGM is a crime and encourages communities to report.

Money Laundering

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle money laundering in the UK.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Government has made significant progress in developing our response to the threat from money laundering. We want to ensure that the full force of government can be used against criminals and kleptocrats who seek to use the UK as a haven for their illicit funds.As part of the Criminal Finances Act, Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) were introduced on 31 January 2018. UWOs are an important addition to existing investigation powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and compel individuals to explain the sources of their wealth where it is suspected that their lawful income would be insufficient to obtain specified property and they are a non-EEA politically exposed person or suspected of being involved in serious crime. Three UWOs have been applied for, and all granted, since the UWO power came into force in January. The Home Office works with law enforcement agencies to encourage the use of UWOs.The Act made it easier to seize the funds of criminals and those suspected of financing terrorism from bank accounts, and introduced powers to prevent the laundering of money through works of art, precious metals and stones, and casino chips. The Act also contains powers to deal with the failure to prevent tax evasion.The Home Office has established a suspicious activity report (SARs) Reform Programme, working with reporters, law enforcement and regulators, to design an effective regime that ensures that there is no safe space to move, use or hide illicit finances.The Government has also announced the setting up of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) in the National Crime Agency. The NECC will be hosted in the NCA and will be staffed by partners from across the law enforcement community (including the NCA, Financial Conduct Authority, HMRC, City of London Police and the Serious Fraud Office) and from the Private sector. It will build on the work already done by these organisations to enable economic crime is tackled in a more coordinated way

Confiscation Orders

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the total debt to the public purse for confiscation orders.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money his Department has recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since January 2017.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money was recovered from criminal proceeding by the National Crime Agency since January 2015.

Mr Ben Wallace: Data on outstanding confiscation orders is published annually by HMCTS as part of their trust statement. The latest trust statement was published on 17 July 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-courts-tribunals-service-trust-statement-2017-to-2018), indicating a gross value of confiscation order debt at £1,961million, of which £152million is considered recoverable.Data on asset recovery performance under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is published annually by the Home Office. The latest data, showing asset recovery performance year on year from 2013-2018, was published on 13 September 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/asset-recovery-statistics).Data on asset recovery performance at the National Crime Agency is published annually in their annual report, which is published according to financial year.

National County Lines Coordination Centre: Staff

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish a list of the roles and responsibilities of (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff at the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recruitment and appointment process is for filling posts at the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

Victoria Atkins: The National County Lines Co-ordination Centre is a joint initiative between the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, supported by £3.6m of Home Office funding. It is one of our key commitments set out in the Serious Violence Strategy.The Centre is fully operational and has around 40 staff in post. The Home Office is not involved in the set up and running of the Centre as it is an operational matter for the NCA and police.

Drugs: Crime

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent meetings his Department has had with representatives of (a) Uber and (b) Airbnb on the county lines drug trade.

Victoria Atkins: We recognise the value and opportunity presented by workers in those services used by county lines drug dealers to identify perpetrators and potential victims who are being used to move, store or deal drugs. This includes those in the transport and accommodation sectors.Home Office officials have ongoing engagement with both representatives of Über and Airbnb in order to highlight county lines exploitation to their drivers and hosts respectively. We are also delivering a communications campaign to raise awareness within the wider transport sector and community.

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been received from EU nationals for settled status; and how many of those applications (a) have been granted, (b) have been refused and (c) are awaiting a decision.

Caroline Nokes: As set out in my Written Statement on the EU Settlement Scheme on 11 October (HCWS997), I have written to the Rt Hon Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, with our early findings from the initial private beta phase and placed a copy of that letter in the Library.We will continue to monitor findings and will publish a full report with our findings once this first phase, which runs until later this month, has been completed.

Immigration: Security

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what timeframe has been set by his Department for the completion of security checks for immigration applications; and what steps his Department taken when that timeframe is not met.

Caroline Nokes: Security checks are an important part of the process of considering immigration applications made to the Department.Different areas complete different checks and have different expected timescales for security such checks to be completed.The department publish transparency data on the number of applications which are considered within service standards across different immigration routes, and this data is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data

Immigrants: EEA Nationals

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee in their recent report EEA migration in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Government will publish a White Paper setting out its plans for the future immigration system later this autumn. We have always been clear that we want decisions about the future immigration system to be based on evidence and we will carefully consider the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations in its recent report before setting out our plans .

Human Trafficking

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) positive and (b) negative Conclusive Grounds decisions were made to potential victims of human trafficking after referral to the National Referral Mechanism and the 45 day reflection period in each quarter of 2017.

Victoria Atkins: Data on National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decisions is published every quarter by the National Crime Agency. The quarterly reports for 2017 can be found here: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics/2017-nrm-statistics

Airports: Biometrics

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to support trials of new biometric technologies at UK airports.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office continues to explore a range of digital options to improve the security and efficiency of our visa and border systems. These proposed changes are part of the government’s commitment to ensure the security of the UK border for the safety and benefit of customers and taxpayers.

Airports: Immigration Controls

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect on reducing immigration queuing times at airports allowing passengers from five eyes partner countries to use ePassport gates would have.

Caroline Nokes: We keep our border and immigration system under regular review to understand what changes can made to improve the passenger experience without reducing border security.

Asylum: Housing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the criteria used by (a) UK Visas and Immigration and (b) providers of asylum accommodation to assess the vulnerability of tenants.

Caroline Nokes: The Asylum Seekers (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2005 provide that in considering whether to provide support under Section 95 and 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to asylum seekers or their family members, account must be taken of their special needs if they are vulnerable. The Regulations define a vulnerable person as:A minorA disabled personAn elderly personA pregnant womanA person who has been subjected to torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence;A person who has had an individual evaluation of his situation that confirms he/she has special needs.Accommodation providers are also contractually required to take account of any particular circumstances and vulnerability of those that they accommodate. The definition of vulnerability in the contracts is the same as the one set out in the 2005 Regulations.The particular circumstances of other supported asylum seekers and their dependants who may have other particular vulnerabilities are also carefully considered, for example because they have care needs or health problems that require a need for a specific type of accommodation or accommodation in a particular location. Further details regarding these policies can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policyhttps://horizon.fcos.gsi.gov.uk/file-wrapper/asylum-seekers-care-needshttps://horizon.fcos.gsi.gov.uk/file-wrapper/healthcare-needs-and-pregnancy-dispersal-guidance

Medicine: Research

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the medical research sector will be able to recruit talented overseas professions through the immigration system that will be introduced after the UK leaves the EU.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to assess the skills of prospective migrants using measures other than their expected salary in reforms to the UK's immigration system; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Government will publish a White Paper setting out its plans for the future immigration system later this autumn. We have always been clear that we want decisions about the future immigration system to be based on evidence and we will carefully consider the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations in its recent report before setting out our plans .

Asylum: Housing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes are in place to ensure that (a) service users and (b) advocates of service users are able to challenge refusals to relocate them to a different property under the new (i) Asylum Accommodation and Support and Advice and (ii) Issue Reporting and Eligibility Support contracts.

Caroline Nokes: Under the new Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts, Service Users or their advocates will continue to be able to make relocation requests directly to the Home Office.The new Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility Provider will also be required to assist Service Users with applications to move accommodation. In the event of a refusal, the Service User and/or those representing will be able to submit further representations and evidence to support a relocation request.

Police: Merseyside

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were in Merseyside in each of the last eight years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical publication.Data on the number police officers employed by Merseyside Police, as at 31 March each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in the Open Data Table accompanying the main release: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods

Immigrants: Entry Clearances

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department has reduced the validity of biometric residence permits issued to people granted indefinite leave to remain from 10 to six years; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: Under existing EU technical specifications, the UK is required to ensure that all Biometric Residence Permits in circulation after 31 December 2024 meet new EU encryption technology standards.Therefore, anyone with indefinite leave to remain, issued with a BRP after 31 December 2014 is issued with a shorter validity Permit to ensure it can be replaced with a new document, free of charge, in time for the deadline. As the UK will have left the EU by this point, we are also considering how best to document migrants’ immigration status in the future border and immigration system.

Police: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what level of reserve funding police forces held at 31 March in each year since 2009.

Mr Nick Hurd: Reserves are an important tool for police leaders, but this is taxpayers’ money and we need real transparency about how it is being used.That is why in January the Government published information on police reserves and provided guidance to Police and Crime Commissioners making clear that they must be more open with taxpayers about their plans to use them.The exact level of reserves is a matter for individual Police and Crime Commissioners, who have a legal duty to set balanced annual budgets and ensure they have adequate reserves. Police reserve levels since 2011 are published in the Police Financial Reserves section on gov.uk. These can be found by following the link below. Earlier figures can be found in former Police Authority statements of accounts.We will shortly be publishing March 2018 police reserve figures on gov.uk, following the publication of Police and Crime Commissioners’ annual accounts https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-financial-reserves

Home Office: Staff

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) staffing and (b) caseload levels have been in his Department's post-decision casework unit in each of the last eight years.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) average and (b) longest processing time was for documents to be issued following a decision by his Department's post-decision casework unit in each of the last eight years.

Caroline Nokes: There is no single overarching post-decision casework unit within UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We are therefore unable to provide the staffing, caseload or processing time information requested.Within UKVI there are a number of units that consider further applications after an initial decision has been made. The scope and handling of work conducted by these units depends on the category of application originally submitted.

Asylum: Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions he plans to make in the new asylum accommodation contracts to ensure that pregnant women and new mothers have access to adequate maternity care and advice.

Caroline Nokes: Under the new asylum accommodation contracts, Providers will be contractually required to take account of the needs of all those that they accommodate, including expectant mothers.The contract will also ensure that standardised health checks are undertaken whilst Service Users are accommodated in Initial Accommodation and Providers will also be contractually responsible for securing GP registrations for Service Users. This service, where necessary, will include facilitating and providing assistance to attend medical appointments.

Police: Expenditure

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the (a) amount of direct Government funding and (b) contribution from council tax through the police precept to each police force in England in each year from 2009 to 2016.

Mr Nick Hurd: Earlier this year the Home Office published a statistical bulletin setting out the breakdown of general Government grant funding and precept funding for each force for the years 2015-16 to 2018-19, available at the link below.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-funding-for-england-and-wales-2015-to-2019Police Grant Reports and accompanying Written Ministerial Statements setting out the grant funding provided by the Home Office are available for the years since 2010-11 at the address below. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-financeThe 2009-10 Police Grant Report can be found at the link below.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/98274/police-grant-report.pdf Council tax information for Police and Crime Commissioners in England since 2011-12 is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and is available at the link below.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics The 2009-10 and 2010-11 council tax information can be found at the links below.http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919221338/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/counciltax200910http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919171510/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/counciltax201011

Agriculture: Migrant Workers

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of whether the Government's plans for a skills-based immigration system after the UK leaves the EU will meet the skills requirements of the agri-food sector.

Caroline Nokes: The Government will publish a White Paper setting out its plans for the future immigration system later this autumn. We have always been clear that we want decisions about the future immigration system to be based on evidence and we will carefully consider the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations in its recent report before setting out our plans.The Government announced on 6 September its plans to introduce a pilot scheme for the admission of 2,500 workers from outside the EU to help meet seasonal labour needs in the agricultural sector.

Asylum: Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions will be in the new asylum accommodation contracts to ensure accommodation is safe for young children and infants before families are placed.

Caroline Nokes: The new contracts will require accommodation providers to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation that complies with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation.The contracts will also include provision for childcare equipment, including cots, high chairs, sterilisation equipment and child safety gates where necessary.

Hate Crime

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of reported hate crime since January 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office holds hate crime data for all police forces in England and Wales on an annual basis. The number of hate crimes recorded by the police has increased by 79% between 2014/15 and 2017/18, from 52,465 to 98,098 offences. This increase is thought to be driven by general improvements by the police in how they record crime, better identification of hate crimes, willingness of victims to come forward, and a genuine increase in these offences around certain events such as the EU Referendum and the terrorist attacks in 2017.Better recording is an important part of how to tackle hate crime and support victims. However, it should be seen in the context of the latest data from the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales which shows there has been a downward trend in hate crime incidence with hate crime falling by 40% over the last decade.On 16 October 2018 the Government published ‘Action Against Hate: The Uk Government’s plan for tackling hate crime: ‘two years on’’ - a refresh of the 2016 Hate Crime Action Plan, which includes an update on action so far and new commitments in relation to increasing the reporting and recording of hate crime.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Contracts

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether gagging clauses have been used in contracts drawn up between his Department and any charities, voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises or companies with the intention of stopping any criticism of Ministers of his Department.

Mims Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (Wales Office) has not used any gagging clauses in contracts it has signed.

Ports: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the Government plans to publish its contingency plans for the transport network servicing trade and travel through Welsh ports to Ireland in the event that no deal is reached for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Alun Cairns: We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. It is however the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes including the unlikely event of no deal. We have now published 106 specific technical notices, including on transport, trading with the EU, and the Common Travel Area, to help businesses, citizens and consumers to prepare for March 2019 in the event of a no deal scenario. These are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

Cabinet Office

Russia: Subversion

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for theCabinet Office, whether any unsuccessful attempts have been made by Russia to interfere in the UK's democratic processes in the last three years.

Tom Watson: To ask the Cabinet Office, whether any indirect attempts have been made by Russia to interfere in the UK's democratic processes in each of the last three years.

Mr David Lidington: The Government has said previously that we have not seen evidence of successful foreigninterference in UK elections and we take any allegations of interference in UK democraticprocesses by a foreign government extremely seriously. That remains the case. We knowthat certain states routinely use disinformation and other means as a foreign policy tool,and have seen evidence of this happening elsewhere. It should therefore not surprise usthat they might try to influence democratic processes in the UK.

Temporary Employment: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people are employed in the North East (a) on zero-hour contracts and (b) in non-permanent jobs.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 129.35 KB)

Keir: Contracts

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the total value of Government contracts held by the construction firm Keir.

Oliver Dowden: Since January 2011, as part of the Government’s transparency programme, detailsof contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder:https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Keir

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has had with Keir on that company's financial sustainability.

Oliver Dowden: Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with the largest suppliers to government in the normal course of business. Discussions cover a range of issues including contract and financial performance.

Crown Commercial Service: Keir

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings the Crown Commercial Service has had with Kier in the last 12 months.

Oliver Dowden: This is information is not held centrally. However, I can confirm that Kier attended a Buildings Strategic Category stakeholder engagement event with officials in the last twelve months.

Employment: Learning Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with learning disabilities who have been in (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 141.61 KB)

Absent Voting

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will undertake a review of the (a) reasons and (b) extent of increases in postal and proxy vote applications in constituencies in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) England in advance of any changes required to the system for such applications for the next General Election.

Chloe Smith: The Government will continue to keep electoral legislation, for all non-devolved polls, under review and consider what changes, if any, may be required before the next General Election. The Government has no plans to undertake such a review. Relevant to postal and proxy working more generally, the Government responded to the Review in December 2016, addressing each of the concerns raised in turn, setting out a number of measures for tackling the risk of fraud. The Government is considering the way forward on the recommendations made by Sir Eric Pickles, a number of which relate to absent voting, and will continue to consider how to improve the integrity of electoral processes more generally. Changes to electoral law in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Electronic Government

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 October 2018, GOV.UK Verify programme, HCWS 978, whether it remains the Government's target to achieve 25 million Verify users by 2020.

Oliver Dowden: We will continue to enable individuals to prove their identity online and to access government services securely and safely. We expect to see continued progress towards 25 million people having a GOV.UK Verify account by 2020. The Written Statement on the GOV.UK Verify programme confirms that contracts have been signed with a number of private sector identity providers. These contracts incentivise those organisations to accelerate the creation of an interoperable standards based digital identity market.

Lobbying

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to end the use of anti-advocacy clauses in government contracts.

Oliver Dowden: There are no anti-advocacy clauses in the Cabinet Office’s standard contracts.

Treasury

Employment: Taxation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the check employment status for tax tool to ensure that it’s results are aligned with case law.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will conduct an assessment of the check employment status for tax tool to determine whether it meets Government digital service standards.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what testing his Department has conducted on the accuracy of the check employment status for tax tool.

Mel Stride: The Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) service is designed to determine whether an existing or future contract will be one of employment or self-employment. CEST results are aligned with case law. Its results have been tested by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) against known case law and settled cases. HMRC published the list of cases that were used to test the accuracy of CEST on www.gov.uk/government/publications/cest-tool-tested-against-tax-cases/test-results-produced-after-cests-development. CEST was rigorously tested throughout development with input from external stakeholders prior to release. The accuracy of CEST was checked as part of that process. CEST was developed in accordance with government data standards. Government Digital Services (GDS) standards assessments are only required for transactional services. Because CEST is a tool for guidance purposes, and not a transactional service, a GDS assessment was not appropriate. HMRC will stand by the result of CEST, provided the information entered is accurate and in line with HMRC guidance. CEST gives an answer in 85% of cases, and where it does not, more detailed guidance and support is available. HMRC continues to improve the CEST tool and is working with stakeholders to better understand the points raised about CEST in responses to the recent consultation on addressing non-compliance with the off-payroll working rules in the private sector.

Insurance Premium Tax: Public Sector

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of Insurance Premium Tax on public sector organisations.

John Glen: The Government regularly keeps all taxes under review. This includes Insurance Premium Tax. Insurance Premium Tax is a tax paid by insurers on all general insurance premiums. It is therefore up to them whether to pass on this cost to consumers, including public sector organisations.

Competition and Markets Authority: Finance

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will provide additional funding to the Competition and Markets Authority.

Elizabeth Truss: At the Autumn Budget 2017, the Government committed over £1.5bn of additional funding to help departments and the devolved administrations to prepare for the UK’s exit from the EU in 2018/19. A full breakdown of allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was allocated £23.6 million in 2018/19 as part of this. At Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor also set aside £1.5 billion of additional funding for department’s EU Exit preparations in 2019/20. The Treasury has received the CMA’s bid and will announce further details about allocations in due course. At the same time, the Chancellor announced £2.8m a year in additional funding for the CMA to take on more cases against companies acting unfairly. All long-term funding decisions are for the next Spending Review, which will take place in 2019.

Capital Gains Tax

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the effect on the revenue that has accrued to the public purse of other EU countries of the introduction of a deferred payment of capital gains tax for trusts ceasing to be resident or non-resident individuals who trade through a national branch or agency.

Mel Stride: The introduction of a deferred payment of capital gains tax for trusts ceasing to be resident or non-resident individuals who trade through a national branch or agency (Clause 36 of the draft Finance Bill) is not expected to have any impact on the revenue accruing to the public purse of other EU countries. The effect of clause 36 is that those migrating trusts and non-resident individuals who defer capital gains tax as a result of the measure will still pay the same amount of tax in the UK, but over a longer period with interest charged on outstanding amounts.

Capital Gains Tax

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what has been the annual cost to the public purse of section 187 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 for each year since its introduction.

Mel Stride: The Government does not hold data specifically on the annual cost of section 187 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992. Information on the use of section 187 is reported to HMRC in tax returns, but the relevant data is not held in a centralised form, and the cost of gathering for statistical purposes is disproportionate.

Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 2010

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has accrued to the public purse each year as a result of the implementation of Chapter 8, Part 6A of the Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 2010.

Mel Stride: It is not possible to provide details of the tax effect arising from the introduction of the Hybrid and other Mismatch regime in Part 6A of the Taxation (International and other Provisions) Act 2010. The hybrid mismatch regime came into force on 1 January 2017. The majority of corporation tax returns which will reflect the impact of these rules have not yet been received.

Taxation: EU Law

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the effect on the revenue that has accrued to the public purse of other EU countries of the implementation of Council Directive (EU) 2017/1852 on tax dispute resolution mechanisms in the European Union.

Mel Stride: No such comparative assessment has been undertaken.

Taxation: EU Law

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the Government plans to participate after the UK has left the EU in (a) EU Directive 2018/822 and (b) other agreements that facilitate the disclosure of information pertaining to cross-border tax arrangements.

Mel Stride: The UK is implementing this Directive as would be required by the terms of the Implementation Period. After leaving the EU, the UK will continue to participate in a wide range of information exchange agreements and will remain committed to all global tax transparency standards.

Revenue and Customs: Offices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) location, (b) postcode and (c) number of employees of each the HMRC offices that have (i) closed and (ii) relocated in each year since 2010.

Mel Stride: The location, postcode and number of employees of each of the HMRC offices closed in each year from 2010, are detailed in the attached table. The information requested concerning the number of staff relocated from HMRC offices closed in each year from 2010, can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.



HMRC office closures 2010 - 2018
(Word Document, 25.93 KB)

Private Rented Housing: Stamp Duty Land Tax

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the revenue to the public purse from the introduction of the three per cent surcharge on buy to let properties between April 2016 and April 2018.

Mel Stride: HMRC has already published estimates for the Higher Rates on Additional Dwellings (HRAD) 3% receipts for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 tax years in its Annual Stamp Taxes Publication:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-stamp-tax-statistics It should be noted that application of the 3% surcharge on a substantial interest in an additional dwelling does not only apply to buy-to-let properties.

Mortgages: EU Law

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Mortgage Credit Directive on the cost of mortgages.

John Glen: The Government conducted an impact assessment when implementing the EU Directive in 2015 and assessed that there would be minimal costs incurred as a result of businesses absorbing the regulatory changes from the FCA.

Personal Pensions: Tax Allowances

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of higher rate tax relief claimed by people with personal pensions in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.

John Glen: Information on the cost of pensions tax relief is published in the HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) National Statistics table ‘Registered pension schemes: cost of tax relief’, available on GOV.UK, please find the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/registered-pension-schemes-cost-of-tax-relief Estimates of the number of people making contributions into personal pensions and the value of their contributions by different income levels can be found in Table 3.8 at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/deductions-and-reliefs-2010-to-2011 Estimates for previous years can be found in the national archives: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http://hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm

Police: Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from police forces on changes to police pension contributions.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury has received representations from a number of employer organisations, including bodies representing police forces, subsequent to my Written Ministerial Statement of 6 September announcing the draft amending directions for the 4-yearly valuations of Public Service Pension Schemes. The finalised directions will be published later this year. Representations have included comments on potential changes to pension contributions.

Police: Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to each police force of the revision of assumptions on public sector pension contributions.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury does not collect data at the level of individual police forces. We continue to work closely with the Home Office on all aspects of police funding.

Police: Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from police bodies on the potential effect of changes to employee pension contributions on police numbers.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury has received representations from a number of employer organisations, including police bodies, subsequent to my Written Ministerial Statement of 6 September announcing the draft amending directions for the 4-yearly valuations of Public Service Pension Schemes. The finalised directions will be published later this year. Representations have included comments on the effects of potential changes to pension contributions.

Help to Buy Scheme: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2018 to Question 176641 on help to buy scheme: Oxfordshire, if he will (a) publish and (b) place in the Library the calculation relating to the average value of a property completion under that scheme in Oxfordshire.

John Glen: Between the introduction of the Help to Buy ISA in December 2015 to March 2018, the average property purchase price in Oxfordshire under the scheme was £196,618. This is based upon 624 property purchase completions taking place, with a total expected value of c.£122.7 million. The information is recorded and published in the Help to Buy ISA Quarterly Statistics accompanying tables. The last release of these was 16th August 2018, which can be found using the following link - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-isa-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2015-to-31-march-2018

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Arts and Design: Trade Promotion

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the arts and fashion industry to emerging markets.

Margot James: Ministers regularly undertake international visits to emerging markets as well as meeting incoming delegations from these countries to promote the UK's art and fashion industries. As part of the Creative Industries Sector Deal, the government has established an industry-led Trade and Investment Board, comprising members from across the creative industries - including the fashion and design industries - which will oversee development and delivery of an export strategy with ambitious targets. The Board’s trade activities have been supported by at least £4m this financial year. DCMS also works very closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council, the Department for International Trade and the GREAT campaign, both in London and throughout the global network of British Embassies, to ensure the arts, fashion and all other cultural and creative industries are fully integrated into the UK Government's wider trade and promotion activities in emerging markets around the world.

Gift Aid

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,  what his policy is on online fundraising platforms charging fees by taking a deduction from donations; and if he will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: Part 2 of the Charities Act 1992 requires all professional fundraisers, including online fundraising platforms, to inform potential donors of their fees and charges. The Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice was strengthened in June 2018 and accompanied by guidance to make clear what is expected of online fundraising platforms in terms of their transparency. These transparency requirements enable potential donors to make informed choices about their giving.

Northern Ireland Boxing Association

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that the Northern Ireland Boxing Association are included as a constituent part of GB Boxing; and what support the Government can provide for the Northern Ireland Boxing Association's application to join The International Boxing Association.

Tracey Crouch: I refer the Honourable Member to my response to PQ 179240 on 18th October.

Boxing: Northern Ireland

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support boxers from Northern Ireland in representing boxing for (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK.

Tracey Crouch: Athletes in Northern Ireland have the choice as to whether they wish to represent the UK or Ireland in their given sport. However, at times this will be subject to the overarching rules applied by the individual Governing bodies of the sport. Eligibility and selection for international competition remain matters for the relevant sports authorities.

Internet: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the 100 wards in Wales were with the lowest proportion of people who had not accessed internet services within the last 6 months in each of the last 3 years.

Margot James: My department does not hold the information requested.

Big Lottery Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who were the top 30 recipients of the largest grants given by the Big Lottery Fund in each of the last 10 years.

Tracey Crouch: The National Lottery raises over £1.6 Billion a year for good cause projects across the UK. 40% of this funding is distributed for Big Lottery Fund.The Big Lottery Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK. It funds both large and small charities across every community in the UK. Every year, around 90% of its awards to community projects are for £10,000 or less. On the attached sheet are the top 30 recipients of the largest grants given by the Big Lottery Fund in each of the last 10 years.



Big Lottery Recipients
(Word Document, 18.82 KB)

Broadband

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2018 to Question 172405 on Broadband, when he plans to discuss with BT and Ofcom how transparency measures might be introduced.

Margot James: Discussions with Openreach and Ofcom about greater transparency of build plans have started and are ongoing.

Vasilijs Melniks

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission undertook due diligence on Vasilijs Melniks before granting a licence to the Park Lane Casino in London.

Tracey Crouch: The Gambling Commission has advised me that it undertook enhanced and significant due diligence in relation to Mr Melnik’s Park Lane Club casino licence application in 2014. Based on the result of those checks it was satisfied as to his suitability to be associated with the licence. The Gambling Commission is currently reviewing Silverbond’s (Park Lane Casino’s) licence to provide gambling in Britain.  Details of the Commission’s processes may be found at the following links:  https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-gambling-businesses/Apply-for-a-licence/What-you-need-to-send-us-when-you-apply-for-an-operating-licence-medium-to-large-businesses.aspx https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Statement-of-principles-for-licensing-and-regulation.pdf https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/Regulatory-action/Review-a-licence.aspx

Charities

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taken to ensure the implementation of the commitment made in the Civil Society Strategy, published by his Department in August 2018, that being in receipt of taxpayers’ money should not inhibit charities from making their voices heard; and whether he has plans to end the use of anti-advocacy clauses.

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of anti-advocacy clauses in Government contracts on charities that have an income of less than £1 million pounds.

Tracey Crouch: The government is determined that charities and social enterprises should be fully confident in their right to speak in public debates, and to have a strong campaigning and advocacy role. Where suppliers encounter unreasonable contract terms in Government contracts they can make use of the Mystery Shopper service. Introduced in 2011, it allows suppliers to report poor procurement practice. Nearly 1,500 cases have been received to date and, of the total cases closed during 2017-18, 99% resulted in positive change. The Mystery Shopper Service can be contacted via MysteryShopper@cabinetoffice.gov.uk No assessment has been made of the effect of anti-advocacy clauses in Government contracts on charities that have an income of less than £1 million pounds.

Ministry of Justice

European Convention On Human Rights

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans for the European Convention on Human Rights to remain in force when the UK leaves the EU.

Edward Argar: The UK will remain a party to the ECHR after it has left the European Union. The decision to leave the European Union does not change our strong commitment to recognising and respecting human rights.

CAFCASS: Complaints

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent external organisation to review individual complaints about the (a) performance and (b) service provided by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Companies: Fraud

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department's call for evidence on corporate liability for economic crime.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice carried out a call for evidence on corporate criminal liability for economic crime in 2017, to establish whether further reform of the law was necessary. The response will be issued in due course.

Sexual Offences: Bristol

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in relation to arrangements where sex has been requested in return for accommodation in the City of Bristol.

Rory Stewart: It is not possible to identify from centrally held data the number of offenders convicted for arrangements where sex had been requested in return for accommodation in Bristol under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as this particular offence cannot be disaggregated from the broader offence of ‘sexual offences’. Additionally, any data held at a court level refers to where the defendant was dealt with rather than where the offence was committed.

Prosecutions: Greater London

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of young offender cases that remain unresolved and (b) utilisation rates at (i) Camberwell Green Magistrate Court and (ii) at Bromley Magistrates Court.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prosecutions: Greater London

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the public purse of transferring young offender cases from Camberwell Green Magistrates Court to Bromley Magistrates Court.

Lucy Frazer: HM Courts & Tribunals Service officials will monitor the operational effect of the transfer of young offender cases from Camberwell Green Magistrates Court to Bromley Magistrates’ Court. The assessment made in the response to the consultation published on 8 February 2017 was that the closure would provide a saving to the public purse. Consolidating workload into Bromley Magistrates’ Court and Croydon Magistrates’ Court will result in efficiency gains by improving the utilisation of the London region’s court estate, and reducing the cost of the estate by removing the annual running costs of maintaining a separate building. The receipts from the sale of the building will be reinvested into the transformation of HM Courts & Tribunals Service to modernise courts and tribunals.

Magistrates' Courts: Camberwell and Peckham

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the closure of Camberwell Green Magistrates court on (a) the attendance rate at court and (b) waiting times between arrest and trial.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Young Offenders: Greater London

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate his Department has made of the rate of youth reoffending in (a) Dulwich and West Norwood and (b) London after (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months of attending court.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice measures proven reoffending from the point at which an offender is released from custody, receives a non-custodial conviction at court or receives a youth caution, reprimand or warning. Proven reoffending is not measured from the point of attending court. The Ministry of Justice measures reoffending over a one year follow-up period plus a further six month waiting period to allow the offence to be proven in court.Reoffending rates are not available by constituency, they are available down to lower tier unitary authority. Reoffending rates by geographical area are available online:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728736/Geographical_data_tool_oct05_sep16.xlsx

Risley Prison: Staff

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of (a) prison officers and (b) qualified mental health practitioners employed at HMP Risley.

Rory Stewart: HM Prison and Probation workforce statistics detailing staffing by establishment are published quarterly. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-march-2018 Prison officer numbers are at their highest in five years, which is vital to ensuring prisons are safe, secure and decent. We now have over 3,500 additional staff in post compared to October 2016. The recruitment drive will continue until we reach required levels across the prison estate, ensuring prisons can fulfil their purpose - protecting the public, reducing reoffending and crucially, rehabilitating offenders. Increased staff numbers will enable us to implement the key worker role, giving staff dedicated time to provide one-to-one support to individual prisoners and, for example, identify where mental health support may be needed. Staffing for prison healthcare services at HMP Risley is a matter for healthcare providers under contract to NHS England. Prison governors work collaboratively with NHS England commissioners to support the commissioning of high quality healthcare services across the prison estate in England.

Employment Tribunals Service: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will provide additional resources to the Tribunal Service in the North East of England to reduce waiting times for universal credit and personal independence payment tribunal hearings.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Youth Justice

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to improve the efficiency of the youth justice system; and what steps he is taking to reduce rates of youth re-offending.

Edward Argar: Reducing reoffending by children in the youth justice system is a key aim of the system. Although fewer young people are committing crimes for the first time, those who do are some of the most troubled in our society. We are continuing to work with the Home Office to deliver the Serious Violence Strategy, pursuing those responsible for crime, protecting victims and communities, and preventing vulnerable people from being exploited. This includes tackling the increase in serious violence and drug-related crime, with an emphasis on responding to county lines activity. This year the government has awarded £22 million for the Early Intervention Youth Fund to support local areas to tackle these problems. Learning from this fund will inform the upcoming £200 million Youth Endowment Fund, and will help deliver a public health approach to addressing serious violence. We also fund Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to support young people at a local level, in partnership with other services (for example, police, health, education and social care). We have had significant success in reducing the under 18 custodial population in recent years. To improve safety and the life chances of children in custody we established the Youth Justice Reform Programme in 2017. We have expanded frontline capacity in Young Offender Institutions by 20%, equating to over 120 new posts and we are introducing a new Youth Justice Specialist officer role in youth custody tied to a professional qualification in youth justice. We have developed a new approach to behaviour management in custody and are working with the NHS on a new approach to strengthen the provision of mental health care for young people. We are investing in the development of Enhanced Support Units for children with the most complex needs, one of which has already been opened at Feltham YOI, and are also developing plans for secure schools, with the aim of improving outcomes for young people in custody. Since the creation of our Youth Justice Reform Programme in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons reports have highlighted improvements in all the under-18 sites they have inspected. It’s promising to see our reforms are starting to have an impact on the ground, but we absolutely must continue to invest in system-wide reform to further improve safety and rehabilitative outcomes for children.

Magistrates' Courts: Camberwell and Peckham

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the efficiency of the processing of caseload at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Employment Tribunals Service: Appeals

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost to HM Courts and Tribunal Service was to administer a First-Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Appeal) in relation to personal independence payments in the last 12 months.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested is not held centrally. The cost of personal independence payment hearings is included in the overall cost of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Appeal).

Bedford Prison: Prisoners' Release

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to accept the recommendation of the Independent Monitoring Board report of 17 October 2018 on HMP Bedford to permit prisoners with a date for release to make an application for universal credit; and if he will discuss that recommendation with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Rory Stewart: Prisoners are able to meet a DWP Work Coach in their prison in the weeks before release who can help them prepare their claim for Universal Credit. The Work Coach can make an appointment at the relevant Job Centre as early as the day of release and an advance of a full month’s benefit including the housing element, if appropriate can be made within hours. The MoJ is working closely with DWP to improve the process for access to benefits for prison leavers.

Prisons: Reviews

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 4 of the 17 October 2018 Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board on HMP Bedford, if he will undertake a review of the role of local prisons.

Rory Stewart: As well as constructing new prisons, the Government’s Prison Estate Transformation Programme is working to reconfigure the existing estate so that prisoners will be held in the right place at the right time in their custodial journey and their rehabilitation can be managed more effectively. This work will see the organisation of the adult male prison estate - including local prisons -simplified into three key functions: reception, training and resettlement. Reception prisons will manage men on remand, fixed recalls and those with a very short time to serve, and they will allocate other individuals for transfer to the next prison. Resettlement prisons will prepare people for release into the community, and they will hold shorter-sentenced men, as well as people transferred from training prisons. To support reconfiguration, we have developed evidence-based Models for Operational Delivery (MODs) for each prison function and also for specialist cohorts. The MODs are best-practice toolkits that will enable governors and commissioners to deliver effective services for their functions and specialist cohorts. The combination of building new prisons and the reconfiguration of the existing estate will address basic issues such as safety and decency, reduce crowding, and drive improvements in rehabilitation. By improving the match between the supply of places and the demands of the population men will be able to progress through the estate to access the right regimes for their needs and prisons will be able to better carry out their function.

Bedford Prison

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policies of the Independent Monitoring Board's report of 17 October 2018 on HMP Bedford.

Rory Stewart: I am currently considering the content and recommendations of the report from the IMB at HMP Bedford. I will respond to the report as soon as that process is completed, and I will ensure a copy of the response is shared with you. We have published an action plan to stabilise HMP Bedford following an Urgent Notification by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. The action plan can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/justice-secretary-publishes-plans-to-stabilise-bedford-prison